Talk:Astronomy in the World of Avatar/@comment-205.222.248.41-20120605125831/@comment-98.237.193.33-20120825043450

An additional solution to the eclipse paradox would be that the path of the eclipse's visibility took it through both Omashu and the Fire Nation Palace. Eclipses do have sinusoidal paths across the Earth's surface since the Earth rotates and if there is an additional continental grouping still undiscovered on the Avatar world's surface, it's entirely possible that the eclipse could, on its declining path, go through both Omashu and the Palace.

And the second solution to the comet problem would be the more likely. It only lasted for a short while (Aang's battle with Ozai and a little bit afterwards). Plus if I know my orbital physics correctly, terrestrial planets within the Goldilocks' zone must be of a critical size to become planets with sufficient mass to hold down an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. The problem with that theory is that it requires Appa to fly at roughly 166.7 km/h or 103.6 mi/h, which, while achievable, doesn't figure in my mind as a speed that a ten-ton airbender with the aerodynamic properties of a sky bison could easily reach, let alone while keeping the Gaang in the saddle or allowing them to converse.

For anyone who wants to refigure that speed and give a more precise solution or correct me I've used a time-in-flight of 240 candles assuming a candle is equal to an Earth hour and a distance travelled of 40 007 863 metres. I have not, however, figured in Appa's average altitude, which means that he must travel much faster than the listed average speed in order to reach the North Pole by the time they did.