Dear Johnny Fanboy,

How far away from Earth is the planet Abydos supposed to be? In the original Stargate movie, one of the scientists states that the planet is in another galaxy [the Kaliam Galaxy]. Catherine Langford adds that it is on the other side of the known universe.

But in Children of the Gods, the pilot to the TV series, Samantha Carter says that Abydos is probably the closest world to Earth in the Stargate network, which is why it was accessible before anyone compensated for centuries of stellar drift.

So is Abydos in our own galaxy or not?

Samuel Murray

Johnny Fanboy replies:

I'm more inclined to come down in favour of the Stargate network only covering a portion of our galaxy - which would still be a truly massive area.

By way of evidence, the two-dimensional star chart in Stargate Command is not the most effective means of visualising a three-dimensional region of our galaxy, but it would be entirely useless as a map of the wider universe. Furthermore, when Carter and O'Neill are lost in the episode Solitudes, it is notable that Daniel Jackson speaks of searching a galaxy of Stargate addresses, rather than a universe of them.

It is true that the scientist in the movie mentions a galaxy, but the term "galaxy" is all too often bandied about to mean any old group of stars. Many so-called "galaxies" in popular sci-fi can instead be regarded as star clusters or constellations, and I think the same applies to the Kaliam "Galaxy". Clearly, the scientist wasn't hired for her skills as an astronomer.

Furthermore, the phrase "known universe" might mean many things. It could include all regions that have been detected by telescopes. Or it could just include those explored by manned and unmanned space probes. "The other side of the known universe" is not a precise term at all, but is instead a general phrase meaning, "very, very far away". Catherine might also simply mean that Abydos is close to the edge of the star chart! (Before you ask, Stargate Command must have amended its chart at some point prior to Children of the Gods.)

So in my opinion, Abydos is a relatively nearby planet in the Kaliam star group.

Alternatively, if you prefer to take the movie version as gospel, perhaps Carter gets it wrong. She does say "probably", after all. Perhaps Abydos was accessible not because it is nearby, but because it happened to drift in exactly the same direction as Earth's solar system.

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