2D explosions?

I wonder about this every time I see a planet or some such thing explode in space. Examples: Death Star explosion in Ep IV and the seismic charges in Ep II. Is the way they're depicting the explosions correct? It appears that there is a puff going up and down from the center, but the bulk of the explosion radiates out from an equator in two dimensions. That allows OB1 to avoid being destroyed by the charges several times. Shouldn't the explosion go out in a spherical direction? Or is there something that I'm missing?

 

Yeah it should.

But back in 1996 or so, Star Gate came out, and used that 2D shockwave for the very first time.

Since then, everyone has used it. Star Trek 6, in the very beginning. SE editions of SW. Its become a trend to add it in there to make an explosion look cool.

Its just one of those things that one movie does, and everyone agrees that its a good idea, so everyone from that time forward uses it in every movie. (Like Matrix's wire work, and "bullet-time.")

It does look cool though, doesnt it? A sherical shockwave would be more correct, but less cool, because thered really be no way to dodge it.

 

They look fine the way they are.

 

Oh, Bib, I'm not arguing that. I agree that they look good. What I wanted to know is if it is correct according to your Physics textbook. I know that it is a GFFA, but deep space, there or here, has certain physical characteristics.

Explosions are a simple concept. They have to conform to some specific laws of physics. This is as opposed to "hyperspace" or "warp speed" or "ludicrous speed," whatever you want to call going faster than light, which is just theoretical and doesn't have any established physical laws... yet.

Thank you for your $0.02, tho!

Thanks, Weenie, for your response. I think that gets it.

 

It just plain wouldnt be as cool.

But youre right, its not "correct." At least in OUR universe, that is.

If you want to see the kind of explosion shockwave that youre talking about, check out Star Trek Generations. Its the only movie I know that has done the "correct" spherical shockwave. Its an awesome sequence! Its a whole different kind of cool. But it wouldnt have been good in the AOTC asteroid feild.

Jango's seismic charges would be just as much of a threat to HIM as they would to his opponent.

 

The energy is going to seek the easiest point of release, perhaps the trench in the middle is the thinnest portion, thus creating a ring.

 

actually when ever a sun gose nova it has so much mass that as it explodes it also collapses in upon it's self. It explodes in all directions, but the bulk of energy released erupts in a ring creating a shock wave. If there is a physics magor out there they could probably explain better.
Any way the way planets explode with that ring effect is probably correct based on there mass.

As for jango's siesmic charge, it is likely designed specificaly to create a radial shock wave.