the Tatooine Sun Problem

[robcat2075]

Gerry Mooney asked: If Tatooine has two suns, why doesn't everything have two shadows?

 

To test this I set up a chor with two lights, each about 0.5° in width (similar to our own Sun) as seen from the center of the Chor, and about 1.5° apart (as suggested by images in Star Wars.

 

PRJ: TatooineTest02.prj (Move the suns by rotating the nulls at the center of the Chor.)

 

When the suns are low in the sky, 20° above the horizon and can cast long shadows, the two shadows are very close together but visibly distinct:

 

 

 

When the two suns are high in the sky, just after local noon, the shadow difference is barely visible:

 

[robcat2075]

Update:

 

It occurs to me that I left Rabbit at his default size, 1 meter tall, which might be appropriate for one of the sand people.

 

However, if we scale him up to Chewbacca size, 2 meters, the divergence of the two shadows becomes more prominent.

 

[robcat2075]

Now with both short and tall Rabbit...

 

[Rodney]

Now with both short and tall Rabbit...

 

Yoda: Always two there are. A master and an apprentice.

Obiwan: Yes, but which is the apprentice.

[Xtaz]

 

Now with both short and tall Rabbit...

 

Yoda: Always two there are. A master and an apprentice.

Obiwan: Yes, but which is the apprentice.

 

Chewbacca: WAGRRRRWWGAHHHHWWWRRGGAWWWWWWRR.