Where WAS Krypton in the Universe?

[TELLE]

I think Julian's Doc Savage/Jor-El analogy is apt --Jor-El was perhaps the greatest scientific genius and adventurer in Krypton's history (and perhaps in the entire galaxy).  The invention of the Phantom Zone and Jor's interstellar adventures are indications that he could create FTL or even warp drives.

(I would like to see a brain-off between Jor and Lex Luthor!)

On the question of Krypton's distance from Earth, as usual Supermanica is very helpful in terms of canonical truth:

The distance from Earth to Krypton has never been measured with absolute certainty, but scientist Mel Evans has estimated the "probable distance at 0.317 light years" (S No. 136/2, Apr 1960: "The Secret of Kryptonite!").

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Krypton#Astronomical_and_Planetary_Details

[llozymandias]

A lot of things about how krypton was depicted (in the 70s & 80s most of all) never made any logical sense.  Too often in the bronze age the writers & artists treated krypton as though it was no more advanced than 20th century earth.

I think I know what you mean, but this has more to do with the portrayal of what they share with us, their humanity. For all the advanced technology, they are as human as us, with myths, legends, superstitions, customs and cultures, and certainly all of our foibles.



       Actually i was referring to how krypton's levels of science & technology were too often depicted.

I think Julian's Doc Savage/Jor-El analogy is apt --Jor-El was perhaps the greatest scientific genius and adventurer in Krypton's history (and perhaps in the entire galaxy).  The invention of the Phantom Zone and Jor's interstellar adventures are indications that he could create FTL or even warp drives.


Jor-El didn't invent/create the phantom zone.  He discovered it.
He invented the phantom zone projector.

(I would like to see a brain-off between Jor and Lex Luthor!)


  I see Lex as having the greater intellect.  Jor started with kryptonian science & technology.  He started with knowledge centuries (or many millenia) ahead of earth.  I place kal's intellect being somewhere between Jor & Lex.  Kal was self-taught in science.  He learned kryptonian science & technology by studying any example of kryptonian tech that he found.

On the question of Krypton's distance from Earth, as usual Supermanica is very helpful in terms of canonical truth:

The distance from Earth to Krypton has never been measured with absolute certainty, but scientist Mel Evans has estimated the "probable distance at 0.317 light years" (S No. 136/2, Apr 1960: "The Secret of Kryptonite!").

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Krypton#Astronomical_and_Planetary_Details

      I think that it was assumed (by evans) that Kal's ship travelled at sub-light speeds.  

[MatterEaterLad]

I'm just not buying it...either Jor-El found this technology like in the World of Krypton story (and that seems really ad hoc and goofy to me) or he invented faster-than-light travel (possibly impossible according to physics) but could not come up with a way of saving more citizens a few months earlier.

[TELLE]

As I understand it, the FTL drive was easy.  It was ratcheting all those bolts (riveting all those rivets?) that was the hard part.  That and the crying baby keeping him awake and all those Science Council meetings and visiting time travellers that prevented the work getting done anytime sooner.

[Uncle Mxy]

Perhaps Krypton was only 27 light years away or so (Maggin goes with Antares IIRC), but some force surrounded its solar system with a space warp to prevent another "Kryptonians Gone Wild" incident.  FTL was harder in the Kryptonian solar system than anywhere else because of the containment field.     Think of what Galactus did with the Silver Surfer, only on a bigger scale.

[Criadoman]

As I understand it, the FTL drive was easy.  It was ratcheting all those bolts (riveting all those rivets?) that was the hard part.  That and the crying baby keeping him awake and all those Science Council meetings and visiting time travellers that prevented the work getting done anytime sooner.

That and trying not to use any of that worthless gold in the prototype.