Location of the planet Oa

[AvengingJustice]

I'm wondering which galaxy system do you guys think the planet Oa(home of the Green Lantern Corps) takes place in?

[hunter_peterson]

It's supposedly at the center of the universe, as well as the oldest planet. Which doesn't actually make any sense, but hey... comics.

[Deviates]

It's supposedly at the center of the universe, as well as the oldest planet. Which doesn't actually make any sense, but hey... comics.

Well in theory it's difficult to argue that there is a central point to the Universe at all, but that's a whole other discussion.

What galaxy Oa is in, I don't know but I do remember reading that Oa is essentially in all and no space sectors. If you were to imagine the universe (crudely) as a circle, each Sector of space is a slice of that circle, with Oa being right at the centre. The idea being that each GL is always in the same sector as Oa and is always only so far away.

[Bob Fett]

Well in theory it's difficult to argue that there is a central point to the Universe at all, but that's a whole other discussion.

What galaxy Oa is in, I don't know but I do remember reading that Oa is essentially in all and no space sectors. If you were to imagine the universe (crudely) as a circle, each Sector of space is a slice of that circle, with Oa being right at the centre. The idea being that each GL is always in the same sector as Oa and is always only so far away.

You are correct.like a bicylce wheel with Oa in the middle.

[Deviates]

You are correct.like a bicylce wheel with Oa in the middle.

Excellent analogy, a much clearer way to describe it.

[hunter_peterson]

I always thought Oa was at a fixed position in the "center" of the universe. (Which I already knew is impossible to locate, as the universe is expanding from the center as it has always done since the Big Bang... hence my saying Oa's being there making no sense.)

Really, if the Guardians were extradimensional and Oa was a planet that pops up everywhere, it would make them a lot less dickish for acting like they traditionally do. They'd be perfectly placed to be the ones to make a cosmic police force and they'd be extradimensional, so they'd be somewhat detached as to mortal affairs. But I don't think it really works that way anymore, if it was like that once. Everything since Johns has made Oa seem located in a certain place, which I'd always heard was the center of the universe.

[[Trigger]]

I always assumed it was at the center until Brightest Day. They make mention that the white Entity who is the creator of all life was born on Earth. That made me wonder if Earth was the center of the universe after that, which would be annoying.

[Harbinger of Apocalypse]

Well, not born but rather it manifested at Earth when Krona did his experiments at witnessing the birth of the universe. It popped up at Earth and its presence led to the creation of life in the cosmos which I found as an unnecessary addition to the DC universe but meh. Anyway, Oa was said to be at the centre but the Guardians were originally native to Maltus which got retconned into being in the Vega system (at least pre-Flashpoint) and the evolved Maltusians relocated to Oa.

[hunter_peterson]

I always assumed it was at the center until Brightest Day. They make mention that the white Entity who is the creator of all life was born on Earth. That made me wonder if Earth was the center of the universe after that, which would be annoying.

Well, not born but rather it manifested at Earth when Krona did his experiments at witnessing the birth of the universe. It popped up at Earth and its presence led to the creation of life in the cosmos which I found as an unnecessary addition to the DC universe but meh. Anyway, Oa was said to be at the centre but the Guardians were originally native to Maltus which got retconned into being in the Vega system (at least pre-Flashpoint) and the evolved Maltusians relocated to Oa.

I think Johns admitted that the life in the universe starting on Earth was a mistake. I just pretend it says that Earth is the LAST place the White Entity manifested before going into hibernation and it all makes sense.

[Harbinger of Apocalypse]

I think Johns admitted that the life in the universe starting on Earth was a mistake. I just pretend it says that Earth is the LAST place the White Entity manifested before going into hibernation and it all makes sense.

I like to think the White Entity manifested somewhere else and when the Maltusians became the Guardians they decided to hide the Entity on Earth. That's what I'd like to think. The original idea was just a pointless attempt at making Earth more special. I mean, it's already a nexus in the DC Multiverse and been affected by the Godwave plus has a large population with the Metagene.... No need to make it more special.

[Captain Smith]

Expecting reasonable cosmology and science from GL books is not going to happen.

1. Center of the Universe
2. Life from Earth
3. Perceptual basis of Lantern Corps based on specifically old world earth primate vision

Stupid - but it's a comic!

[Deviates]

Expecting reasonable cosmology and science from GL books is not going to happen.

1. Center of the Universe
2. Life from Earth
3. Perceptual basis of Lantern Corps based on specifically old world earth primate vision

Stupid - but it's a comic!

Exactly. It's the same as expecting accurate science in Star Wars. It's never going to happen. It's science fiction for a reason, and it's certainly not hard science fiction (Star Wars is about as soft as it gets).

[ducklord]

Given the cosmological nonsensicalness of Oa being at the center of the Universe, I prefer to think of it as being the "Center of the Green Lantern Universe," what with all the outwards radiating sectors and whatnot.

Personally, I'm just happy whenever GL writers remember that there's a difference between "universe" and "galaxy."

[dupersuper]

I always assumed it was at the center until Brightest Day. They make mention that the white Entity who is the creator of all life was born on Earth. That made me wonder if Earth was the center of the universe after that, which would be annoying.

They implied he was born on Earth, but all we know for sure is that he was hiding/hidden on Earth. I need to hang on to that given how little sense the idea of life first evolving on Earth makes in pre-Flashpoint DC continuity.

3. Perceptual basis of Lantern Corps based on specifically old world earth primate vision

That can be understandable if Maltusions had the same visual range. There may be X-ray lanterns and infra red lanterns and such just waiting to be made/discovered.

Personally, I'm just happy whenever GL writers remember that there's a difference between "universe" and "galaxy."

Yeah: I'm still not clear on how big a GL sector is.

[Captain Smith]

Even if Malthusians saw in the visible spectrum, the red-green, blue-yellow metathetic continuum is an Earth primate thingee. In fact, other critters on earth have different systems - tetrachromatic, UV based opponency, polarization angle seen as color.

But this way leads to madness, when one applies one's real world science knowledge to comics, why you have to reboot your mind!

Given our universe is about 130 billion light years wide (if width means anything) and with hundreds of billions of galaxies, 7200 Green Lanterns couldn't cover anything significant fraction.

The Guardians would have been better of as a local group. Also, given the scale of the universe - the constant resetting of the multiverse based on Superhero shennigans on Earth makes little sense.