# Would I be able to see a Star Destroyer in orbit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096 "2003-09-17T07:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/1 "2003-09-17T07:14:04Z")
Say Princess Leia was fleeing across Earth at the same altitude as she was above Tatooine (and in the same spaceship, to stop any facecious answers) and the Star Destroyer was chasing her in the same way. If they were over my house would I be able to see them? How big would they look? By day? Night? ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/2 "2003-09-17T07:48:27Z")
Just as a hunch, I would think you would be able to see it, but only at night. You can see the International Space Station during the night and I would assume the Star Destroyer to be bigger and it was completely white so it would reflect most of the sunlight that hit it. Would probably just look like a bright star, possibly moving depending on how high up it was. Of course that depends on the size, not having technical schematics on hand, I couldn’t tell you for sure. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/3 "2003-09-17T08:23:52Z")
I am not a star wars expert but… A super Star Destroyer is apparently 12km long- you could definitely see that in daylight in Low Earth Orbit, and probably in Geostationary Earth Orbit as well- sizes from here [http://www.merzo.net/index.html](http://www.merzo.net/index.html) other smaller Star destroyers are about a klick long, but would still be visible in daylight in LEO; but they would be more difficult to see in GEO. Basically anything brighter than Venus will be visible in daylight; this includes the reflections off the solar panels of real-life Iridium satellites, which are easily visible if you are looking in the right diirection. * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/4 "2003-09-17T09:54:59Z")
Yep, you would. And [here’s proof.](http://www.guanolad.com/stuff/sd.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/5 "2003-09-17T14:35:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > \*\*Yep, you would. And [here’s proof.](http://www.guanolad.com/stuff/sd.jpg) \*\* Okay. What, exactly, is in that picture? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/6 "2003-09-17T15:49:56Z")
Very nice **Guanolad** - is that your work? If so well done. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/7 "2003-09-17T16:20:02Z")
I would think it’s either a deleted scene from Episode II or a spoiler from Episode III. ---
**Author:** ![Phage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a4c791/32.png) [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/8 "2003-09-17T16:22:12Z")
From the outline, **adam yax** , I would say that that is a Super Star Destroyer in that picture. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/9 "2003-09-17T17:04:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phage \* > \*\*From the outline, **adam yax** , I would say that that is a Super Star Destroyer in that picture. \*\* So, some skillz with PhotoShop is now a valid cite? If some asks how does sound travel in outer space will a .wav of a TIE fighter fly-by be a solid cite? **Guanolad** , yes that is nice work, but it certainly can’t be proof. Unless you have actually built and launched a Super Star Destroyer, in which case I bow down before you. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/10 "2003-09-17T17:11:50Z")
Anyone else hearing a ‘whoosh’, here? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/11 "2003-09-17T17:20:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by \*\*adam yax \*\* > … will a .wav of a TIE fighter fly-by be a solid cite? … yes, if the question was ’ Would I be able to hear the whoosh of a TIE fighter in outer space? ’ ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/12 "2003-09-17T19:03:56Z")
Well, using an 8km length (Super Star Destroyers have varying lengths), the angular size calculation found [here](http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/YBA/HTCas-size/ang_prac.html), and the space shuttle orbit (500km, from [here](http://www.uo14.net/about/leo.html))… We get .916 degrees (in the sky). [This site](http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=319) claims the sun and the moon are each 1/2 degree so the Super Star Destroyer in a space shuttle orbit would be twice the size of the sun. _I don’t work with these numbers very often so it’s entirely possible I’m wrong._ ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/13 "2003-09-17T19:11:07Z")
Sorry, if I’m raining on any parades, but I am a little on edge here. Yesterday I chewed out for posting a factually wrong answer in this forum. It wasn’t my intention to mislead anybody, I was just sloppy and posted without checking my facts. So, when I take that into account with the flustercluck the “Are scalar weapons real” thread has become, I may have over reacted in my desire to see this thread be answers to factual questions. Plus, the OP asked about seeing it from earth. So, if you can prove that the planet in **Guanolads** link has the same atmosphere make up as earth, I will again apologize 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/14 "2003-09-17T20:08:32Z")
Well, in that case, you would not be able to see it… Because it’s fictional. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/15 "2003-09-17T21:00:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Anyone else hearing a ‘whoosh’, here? \*\* Depends. How low is it flying? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/16 "2003-09-17T21:26:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eburacum45 \* > [http://www.merzo.net/index.html](http://www.merzo.net/index.html) I must say that is one _hell_ of a website. The guy must have no life, but, WOW! ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/17 "2003-09-17T21:28:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > \*\*Okay. What, exactly, is in that picture? \*\* Ben & J. Lo? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/18 "2003-09-17T22:30:24Z")
That image is from a Star Wars fanfilm that I worked on called Broken Allegiance. I cannot claim responsibility for that image, however, it was composited by somebody else. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-i-be-able-to-see-a-star-destroyer-in-orbit/202096/19 "2003-09-18T12:08:54Z")
That picture comes from fanfilms, as Guano pointed out. Its a joke, ok, well, sort of.