I'm halfway through a reread of a massive fantasy series in which "Winter is coming" is an oft-repeated reminder that he who is not well prepared will not survive.
(It's the excellent "Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin, beginning with A Game of Thrones. I'm not a fantasy reader, so I resisted the prods and pokes for some time, but once I started it, I was hooked.)
The characters make many references to winters lasting nine years, or only three, or twenty-five, or to unusual springs that went on for years and years, etc. How might this be possible?
I know what makes earth seasons, the tilted axis and our roughly circular orbit around the sun. (Boy, fourth grade was great, huh?) I can't imagine a set-up which allows for irregular lengths of seasons. Martin has been so meticulous about his other research that I doubt he gave it no thought.
An orbit that isn't circular seems necessary, but a plain parabola won't work, I don't think. There's only one sun, BTW.
Any math-and-science people want to take a stab?
Maryn, adorably befuddled (well, befuddled anyway)
(It's the excellent "Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin, beginning with A Game of Thrones. I'm not a fantasy reader, so I resisted the prods and pokes for some time, but once I started it, I was hooked.)
The characters make many references to winters lasting nine years, or only three, or twenty-five, or to unusual springs that went on for years and years, etc. How might this be possible?
I know what makes earth seasons, the tilted axis and our roughly circular orbit around the sun. (Boy, fourth grade was great, huh?) I can't imagine a set-up which allows for irregular lengths of seasons. Martin has been so meticulous about his other research that I doubt he gave it no thought.
An orbit that isn't circular seems necessary, but a plain parabola won't work, I don't think. There's only one sun, BTW.
Any math-and-science people want to take a stab?
Maryn, adorably befuddled (well, befuddled anyway)