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In Star Wars Episode II, when Kenobi came to know about outer-rim, he also came to know that outer-rim is 12 parsec away.

12 parsec = 12 * 3.26 light years = 39 light years (approx.)

According to Einstein, nothing can move faster than light. We can't deny it even in front of advance technology of Star Wars: we can find spaceship speed equal to light speed after turning on hyperdrive (see last scene of Star Wars Episode V & more).

So, it would take at least 78 years for Kenobi for full return journey. But, everything happened very fast. There was no age effect on Kenobi. Even if we consider time-dilation effect, there should be age effect on others (who were in Jedi Temple & Senate), but nothing happened. Everything was quick. How is it possible?

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    Let's just face it. FTL travel exists in many sci-fi series, and while it's not real by the science we know now, in each's particular universe, it holds true. – PearsonArtPhoto Feb 23 '11 at 15:16
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    It pains me to close your question, but your question is a little confusing. Works of science fiction often don't have complete explanations for how their universes' technology works. If you have a more specific question about Star Wars and FTL, consider asking that question. Also check out scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/1458/… – Mark Rogers Feb 24 '11 at 0:25
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    @Mark: I don't understand why you closed this question but not the other similar ones, like those in my answer (one of which you link to). Your explanation does not explain the difference. – Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE Feb 24 '11 at 6:32
  • @Mark Once Discovery featured a TV show "Science behind Star Wars". There's always something logical even if its Science Fiction. Definitely, directors can't make spiderman fly. So, I wanted to figure out the logic behind it. You shouldn't close such type of questions.. – Baby Yoda Feb 24 '11 at 13:22
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FTL travel in the Star Wars has been discussed here: Was the Millennium Falcon too slow?

Summary: Star Wars is not hot on science.

See also: Why and how can you hear explosions in space in Star Wars?

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The interesting side to this is, in episode 4, Han says the Falcon makes .5 past light speed. However, if you listen to commentary from a producer about light speed, the original premise is that all ships travel at light speed and faster ships are because of navigation, hence the reason Han also says the Falcon makes the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs - a distance rather than time.

Also in episode 5, after the Falcon hides on the back of an Imp destroyer bridge, the imp officer says the Falcon could be half way across the galaxy. Thats faster than BSG, ST, and several other universes combined (except robotech)

The commentary was on a making of SW show, not commentary on episode 4.

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    The remark in episode 5 was clearly exaggeration for effect. "He could be half-way around the world by now!" – DampeS8N Feb 23 '11 at 14:20
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    Also, I think the Star Wars galaxy has been defined as smaller than the Milky Way in some of the semi-canon expanded universe – HorusKol Feb 23 '11 at 22:30
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    "He could be 473,026,420,000,000,000,000 meters away by now!" – Nick Bedford Apr 19 '11 at 23:39
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Science fiction, more than “mundane” fiction, requires suspension of disbelief: in the end, it is saying things that are not true, and for the duration of the movie you need to be ready to believe things that contradict your general knowledge. Star Wars is not hard science fiction, you may be called to suspend your disbelief on scientific matters.

Most fiction makes assumption that don't make sense in the real world but make a good story. In this instance, the usual term is that spaceships travel at the speed of plot.

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  • This is probably the reason why Star Wars was so successful. They didn't bore the audience with explaining how things work (like Star Trek) and just got on with the story. – Nick Bedford Apr 19 '11 at 23:41
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It's NOT possible. It's Science Fiction.

Star Wars: Making the impossible possible since 1977.

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  • It is fantasy. Some FTL could be called sci-fi, but not the star wars hyperdrive which works on magic and might just get faster if you rubbed the engine with cheetah blood. – DampeS8N Feb 23 '11 at 12:18
  • Not going to get into the SW: SF or Fan argument. LOLs for "cheetah blood" tho. – Rodger Cooley Feb 23 '11 at 14:02
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Actually, due to time dilation, 78 years would not pass for Kenobi at the speed of light. No time would pass. If he were going minute-fractions under the speed of light, only a short time would pass. Only the rest of the universe would have 78 years pass. (Assuming Kenobi goes 0-lightspeed instantly)

The speed of light isn't a limit, so much as it is how the rest of the universe sees something that is traveling near-instantaneously on its own time scale.

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  • Only the rest of the universe would have 78 years pass. I've specified it in question. Is this happened? After returning, nobody was 78 years older.. – Baby Yoda Feb 23 '11 at 12:37
  • @Sachin: No, it didn't happen. Star Wars just has magic engines. In other Sci-fi you'll see the use of warp drives or worm holes, both of which will side-step the issue by changing space itself. However, Star Wars just disregards the existence of the limit. – DampeS8N Feb 23 '11 at 12:47
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    @Sachin: Well, there is a LOT about Star Wars that isn't science fiction. It is far better to think of it as Lord of the Rings with lasers, space ships, and robots. It is just fantasy. – DampeS8N Feb 23 '11 at 12:59
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    Imagine Tolkien Elves holding laser pistols... – Nick Bedford Apr 19 '11 at 23:43
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    @Nick Nedford: Who needs to imagine? – DampeS8N Apr 20 '11 at 11:25

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