Endor: Planet or Moon?

Originally I believed that when "The Forest Moon of Endor" was referred to in RotJ, it meant that the Death Star II was orbiting a forest moon named Endor. That of course led me to wonder what the planet that Endor orbited was called. Then I figured that the Death Star II orbited a moon of the planet Endor. But then is the moon just "The Forest Moon"? And then why are they "on Endor" when they are on said moon? Can someone clear this up for me?

 

Endor is the name of the gas giant. The Forest Moon of Endor is where the Imperial base was. However, the moon can also be referred to as Endor.

 

Gas giant? Where was this gas giant? The only gas giant I remember was Yavin. Ah well.

 

It wasn't visible in the film, but it was still there. The gas giant Endor is silvery in color.

 

It wasn't visible in the film
An "invisible" gas giant...why am I afraid of what that means

There is alot about SW planet geography we don't understand. Take into consideration that in ESB Captain Piett made the statement of:
an area of the SIXTH planet in the Hoth system
when refering to the the Rebel base ON Hoth.

And according to The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons a SYSTEM is defined as:
individual stars and their orbiting planets. Some planets have many life-bearing planets, some have none, while others contain only drifting asteroids or comets

Perhaps, (in the case of Endor) the life-bearing planet is in orbit around a non-life-supporting planet. Or in terms we can relate to...what if Earth was in orbit around Jupiter? Wouldn't that classify us as "a moon"

 

It wasn't invisible, it was just "behind" the camera in all of the scenes.

 

There is alot about SW planet geography we don't understand. Take into consideration that in ESB Captain Piett made the statement of:
an area of the SIXTH planet in the Hoth system
when refering to the the Rebel base ON Hoth.

I always took this to mean that the star's name was Hoth, and the full name of the planet the Rebels were on was Hoth VI.

 

It's a poon

As in, "You got pooned"

As in, "No one understands what I'm saying"

 

It's both.
Just FYI in ROTJ we saw Endors Moon not the planet Endor.

 

Yeah the sanctuary moon.

 

The only problem I have with this is that the Death Star is the size of a 'small moon', but 'Endor' is MASSIVE next to it! If 'Endor' is a moon, then what size would the planet be? The Death Star would surely be the size of an asteroid, and not a moon.

And I don't buy the 'it's always out of shot' argument. There are so many moving shots during the space battle from all angles, that one of them would have the planet in it, bearing in mind what size it would have to be compared to the 'moon'

 

The Death Star is huge, but Endor and it's moons are HUUUUUUUGE. That's why

 

It was a big moon around a bigger planet.

 

A moon is not defined by its size, but whether it orbits a star or another planet. Though the "Forest Moon of Endor" was really big, it was still in orbit around the gas giant, making it a moon.

Or maybe the Empire shrunk the Second Death Star down to save on construction costs? It's really only the size of a "spacestation" in ROTJ. You know bureaucracy.



...
(That was a joke, I know the DS2 was bigger than the original!)

 

"It wasn't invisible, it was just "behind" the camera in all of the scenes."

Not entirely. You see it behind the SD when Vader's shuttle departs for the DS II.

"It's both.
Just FYI in ROTJ we saw Endors Moon not the planet Endor."

For what it's worth, every single character except Darth Vader refers correctly to the "sanctuary moon". Even the screenplay notes...

"PAN DOWN to reveal a monstrous half-completed Death Star, its massive superstructure curling away from the completed section like the arms of a giant octopus. Beyond, in benevolent contrast, floats the small, green moon of ENDOR.

---

[i][b]This causes a stir. Mon Mothma turns to a holographic model of the Death Star, [u]the Endor moon[/u] and the protecting deflector shield in the center of the room.[/i][/b][/blockquote]
[b]ACKBAR[/b] - "You can see here the Death Star orbiting the [u]forest Moon of Endor[/u]."

[b]GENERAL MADINE[/b] - "We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land [u]on the moon[/u] and deactivate the shield generator."

[b]PILOT VOICE (HAN)(filtered)[/b] - "Parts and technical crew for the [u]forest moon[/u]."

[i]62 EXT SPACE - STOLEN IMPERIAL SHUTTLE - ENDOR 62[/i]
[blockquote][i]The stolen Imperial shuttle moves off toward the green Sanctuary Moon.[/i][/blockquote]
[b]EMPEROR[/b] - "Then you must go to the [u]Sanctuary Moon[/u] and wait for them."

Then there's Vader...

[b]VADER[/b] - "A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and [u]landed on Endor[/u]."

Now, to be honest, some of these descriptions [i]can[/i] go either way, and there are a [i]few[/i] notations in the screenplay calling the moon "Endor" as well. Regardless, I think this was just something that slipped by, since it really isn't important to the story either way. It's just one of many technical "less than 12 parsecs" gaffes. ;)

 

The only problem I have with this is that the Death Star is the size of a 'small moon', but 'Endor' is MASSIVE next to it!

A "small moon" need only be a few kilometers across. Look at the moons of Mars, they're literally just big rocks.

 

"The only problem I have with this is that the Death Star is the size of a 'small moon', but 'Endor' is MASSIVE next to it!"

The size is not what determines whether something is a moon.

Moon: A natural satellite revolving around a planet.

Generally speaking, a larger planet (more specifically, the gravity field thereof) is capable of maintaining bigger or many more moons than a smaller planet. Gas giants like Endor are very large (although a lot of their "size" tends to be caused more by the dispersion of their material, which has greater density as you get nearer to the core.)

Oops. Okay. I'll stop now.

 

Jupiter's largest moon is the size of the PLANET Murcury, so obviously the term "moon" has nothing to do with size.

Also, this moon is 664,000 miles away from Jupiter, so it stands to reason that the "gas giant" Endor is just as big as Jupiter with a "planet-sized" moon really far away.

 

VADER - "A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and landed on Endor."

Looks like a solid case for the moon being named Endor with the 'sactuary' term being used as a nickname. This is no different than how the various moons within our solar system have their own names, like Io.

I haven't seen anything to definitively say what the name of the gas giant is.

 

"Looks like a solid case for the moon being named Endor with the 'sactuary' term being used as a nickname."

Despite the fact that no other character names it as such? ?

Hardly "solid", unless you think Vader is quite the astronomer.

"This is no different than how the various moons within our solar system have their own names, like Io."

Uhm, I believe the point of this thread was that the moon should have a separate name from the planet, instead of having the same name.

"I haven't seen anything to definitively say what the name of the gas giant is.

And you've looked where? ?

 

"Hardly "solid", unless you think Vader is quite the astronomer."

Actually, it's pretty solid because the audience is not supposed to say, "I guess Vader's just an idiot, then." If it's not challenged, or not obviously wrong, it's probably true, especially in a spacefaring society.

Be that as it may, I still think that its a moon orbiting Endor. "Sanctuary moon" was a term I forgot, and I'll use that as more solid proof than, "forest moon of Endor," as that term can still mean that it's a forest moon named Endor, albeit in a somewhat "high" way of speaking.

 

"Actually, it's pretty solid because the audience is not supposed to say, "I guess Vader's just an idiot, then."

Assuming the audience is paying attention to such details. Did people think Han was an idiot when he talked of making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs? Nope.

Honestly, guys. This is making a mountain out of a molehill.

"that term can still mean that it's a forest moon named Endor, albeit in a somewhat "high" way of speaking."

Agreed. It can certainly be read as such, if one so chooses.

 

"Assuming the audience is paying attention to such details. Did people think Han was an idiot when he talked of making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs? Nope."

No, but the point is if some nerd -- pot calling the kettle black -- hadn't pointed out that parsecs was distance, not time, no one would have questioned it. The half-assed explanation the OS posted was rationalization after the fact, GL covering his butt.

"Honestly, guys. This is making a mountain out of a molehill."

Actually, I'd say reading into a line in the movie such to say that Vader is wrong because none of the other characters said, what he said, which makes sense because obviously Vader wouldn't be up on his astronomy, is making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Agreed. It can certainly be read as such, if one so chooses."

Haha. Well actually I didn't so much as choose.

 

"I'd say reading into a line in the movie such to say that Vader is wrong because none of the other characters said, what he said, which makes sense because obviously Vader wouldn't be up on his astronomy, is making a mountain out of a molehill."

Actually, that wasn't my point at all. I wasn't blaming the problem on Vader per se. I think it was just a script-writing problem. My comment about Vader's astronomical skills was tongue-in-cheek, hence the .

 

The only problem I have with this is that the Death Star is the size of a 'small moon', but 'Endor' is MASSIVE next to it!

Size matters not?