PLANET XPLANET X
Official Name: "Planet X"
Nature: Alternate reality (Reality-54561) extraterrestrial planet, sol system, Milky Way Galaxy
Environment: Life-sustaining biosphere
Gravity: Earth-like
Atmosphere: Earth-like (mostly nitrogen and oxygen)
Natural Satellites: Presumably a moon
Artificial Satellites: None known (they did not appear to have the technology to launch satellites)
Natives: Humans
Population: Unrevealed (likely around 2.6 billion if comparable to Earth at the time of the story's publication)
Capital City: None known
Government: Presumably numerous nations with
their own governments; there may or may not have been a United
Nations-like organization to facilitate international relationships
Languages: Presumably numerous languages within the various nations; the USA-like region encountered by Nels Ostron spoke English
Monetary Unit: Presumably varies within nations/regions.
Planetary Defense: None known; see government above
Major Resources: Unrevealed (presumably similar to Earth)
Places of Interest: None specified
Prominent Residents: A group of unidentified astronomers
Visitors: Nels Ostron of Earth
First Appearance: Uncanny Tales I#20 (March, 1954)
History:
(Uncanny Tales I#20 (fb) -
BTS) - On Earth, it was discovered that Earth's moon was moving closer
to the planet at a rate of 2 miles per day, and that it would
accelerate the closer it got until the two bodies collided. Nel Ostron
correctly posited that there was a planet ("Planet X") orbiting the sun
exactly opposite (180 degrees around)
to Earth, and that it was the cause of the attraction between Earth and
the moon. While no one else believed him, Ostron was certain, and he
believed that world must be destroyed or Earth would perish. Building a
rocket, Ostron took to space.
(Uncanny Tales I#20
(fb) -
BTS) - At some, an astronomer on "Planet X" realized that their moon
was moving closer to their world at a rate of 1 mile per day.
(Uncanny Tales I#20) - Ostron spotted "Planet X" and traveled there, hoping he could find a solution to Earth's danger once he landed.
Landing undiscovered at night
time, Ostron confirmed that there was not any dangerous radioactivity
and that the world's atmosphere was chemically identical to Earth's.
Exiting his rocket, he found the ground to be the same as Earth's and,
seeing lights, he realized there must be life on this world. Rushing
toward the lights, he was surprised to find a city just like that of
Earth's, and he concluded that Earth had been duplicated. 
Ostron entered an astronomers
convention where an astronomer announced confirmation that their moon
was approaching their world at 1 mile/day, and Ostron realized that
this world faced a similar threat but at a reduced rate. Ostron
interrupted the speaker, noting a planet opposite their world around
the sun to be the cause. Ostron's argument was considered preposterous
by those present, disbelieving Ostron when he told them that he had
come from that other world. They agreed to accompany him to see his
space ship, but the astronomers of Planet X felt that someone could
have made a space ship as many people had been trying to build one but
they continued to discount his story; they further found that there was
nothing about his ship that could not have come from their world.
Arguing that one of their two
worlds would have to be destroyed and acknowledging that they would
need proof positive before they would even consider options to resolve
the situation, Ostron insisted that two people from Planet X accompany
him in his ship to see his world. After lots were drawn, two skeptical
scientists were selected, and they entered Ostron's ship; after they
departed their world, the scientists congratulated Ostron for making
their world's first space ship, but they told him he had not needed to
tell them the lie about his planet to get them there.
As they reached the point where
they could see Earth, however, the scientists from Planet X exclaimed
that they had been right, and Ostron shocked to look out a view port
and see only smashed chunks of Earth and the moon, and he realized that
they had been too late.
Comments: Created by Tiny DiPretta and an unidentified writer.
I would assume the implication would be that since Earth and its moon were destroyed, Planet X and its moon were no longer being pulled together.
I'm not sure how a planet on the
opposite side of the sun would cause an attaction between Earth and its
moon. Plus, presumably this world did not just appear there and had
been in existence as long as Earth, so why was it suddenly affecting
Earth's moon?
...but it is 1950s Sci-Fi...what do you want for nothing?
Math during cocktail hour is not the best idea, but per lazy internet research:
The distance of Earth's orbit is about 150 million
miles, so something halfway around the sun would be 75 million miles
(120 million kilometers). Earth orbits the sun around 18.75 miles per
second (30 km/second), and modern rockets in space (like Juno), travel
at a little under twice that speed (36.25 miles/second or 58
km/second). Assuming Ostron had the sense to travel opposite of the
orbital direction, this would combine the speeds to bring him closer to
Planet X at 55 miles/second or 88 km/second, which would take about
1,363,636 seconds = 22,727 minutes = 378 hours = about a year and 13
hours.
Ostron noted that his ship had acheived greater than
7 miles/second, which I believe is good for escape velocity, but then
after escaping Earth's atmosphere, he notes that in 8 seconds he would
be in a position to see around the sun and spot the world on its
opposite side. I don't have the knowledge to know how far around he
would have to be to see that world, but I would think it would be well
over half the distance, so like 40 million miles in 8 seconds...that
seems pretty excessive to me.
Not sure why I spent the time time figuring all of that out....
If the Earth was moving closer at a rate of 2 miles/day, since the moon is about 250,000 miles from Earth, it would have taken 125,000 days or 342 years for the moon to strike Earth. However, they did note that things would speed up as they got closer, so perhaps it happened much more quickly than would have been expected (plus, we don't know how long this had been going on before it was discovered).
Nels Ostron and his ship can get
their own profile at some point. If someone wants to do that, I would
strongly encourage a separate profile, rather than just adding
sub-profiles on characters not from Planet X to a profile on Planet X.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Planet X of Reality-59356 has no known connections to:
|
(Uncanny Tales I#20
(fb) -
BTS) - At some, an astronomer on "Planet X" realized that their moon
was moving closer to their world at a rate of 1 mile per day. (Uncanny Tales I#20) - At an astronomer's convention, an astronomer announced confirmation that their moon was approaching
their world at 1 mile/day. Having traveled there from Earth, Ostron interrupted the speaker,
noting a planet opposite their world around the sun to be the cause.
Ostron's argument was considered preposterous by those present,
disbelieving Ostron even when he told them that he had come from that other
world. They agreed to accompany him to see his space ship, but the
astronomers of Planet X felt that someone could have made a space ship
as many people had been trying to build one but they continued to
discount his story; they further found that there was nothing about his
ship that could not have come from their world. Arguing that one of their two worlds would have
to be destroyed and acknowledging that they would need proof positive
before they would even consider options to resolve the situation,
Ostron insisted that a pair of people from Planet X accompany him in his ship
to see his world. After lots were drawn, two skeptical scientists were
selected, and they entered Ostron's ship; after they departed their
world, the scientists congratulated Ostron for making their world's
first space ship, but they told him he had not needed to tell them the
lie about his planet to get them there. As they reached the point where they could see Earth, however, the scientists from Planet X exclaimed that they had been right, and Ostron shocked to look out a view port and see only smashed chunks of Earth and the moon, and he realized that they had been too late. --Uncanny Tales I#20Note: None of the astronomers were identified by name. The prominent figure with black hair is Nels Ostron, who traveled to Planet X from Earth. |
images: (without ads)
Uncanny Tales I#20/4, pg. 3, panel 1 (Planet X viewed from Ostron's ship);
panel 3 (Ostron's ship in the plains; city lights);
panel 5 (city);
panel 7 (astronomers convention);
pg. 4, panel 1-2 (Ostron arguing with astronomers);
panel 5 (astronomers aboard Ostron's ship);
Appearances:
Uncanny Tales I#20/4 (March, 1954) "Proof Positive" - unidentified writer, Tony DiPretta (artist)
First posted: 09/24/2023
Last updated: 09/27/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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