Season One Question

[captainmarvel]

Hi all! I'm working on a zine (my first attempt to put one together) and I need help. I want to write an article asking the question "just how far away is Metropolis anyway?" Lex often talks about "flying people in", but one of the first season episodes clearly shows that the Metropolis skyline can be seen from the highest point in Smallville, meaning that it can't be that far. Problem is, I can't remember which episode that was in. Do any of you guys know? Thanks in advance.

 

[cheungcheung]

the one with sexy lana.... and the flower. nicodemus i think.

 

[Whiteflag]

the one with sexy lana.... and the flower. nicodemus i think.

Yes, that was at the end of "Nicodemus".

 

[triplet]

Yeah, Nicodemus had Metropolis close enough you could see it from the top of the wind mill but later in the third season Truth, Chloe put it at three hours when she was amazed Clark was going to go all the way to Metropolis to get hotdogs from the football stadium since it was a three hour drive.

*shrug*

Pete: Clark's going to run to Metropolis to get us Shark Dogs from the stadium.

Chloe: What? Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up. You mean to tell me that Clark is driving six hours to pick up a couple of hot dogs?

Pete: Well, when Clark goes supersonic, he can make the round trip in 10 minutes.

 

[captainmarvel]

Yeah, see. That's what I'm talking about. Just how far is Metropolis anyway?

 

[AgentPat]

Yeah, see. That's what I'm talking about. Just how far is Metropolis anyway?

Given the six hour round trip quoted by Chloe in Truth, a car driving at 60mph would place Metropolis approximately 180 miles away from Smallville. The average curvature of the Earth (barring mountains and abysses) is approximately one foot per mile distance, so a six foot tall person standing on the ground sees the ground only six miles away before things are obscured by the Earth. If Metropolis is 180 miles away, then a 17 story building (assuming the average height per story is 10 feet) would just crack the horizon to the eyes of a six foot tall person standing on the ground in Smallville. Conversely, in order to see the ground on which the buildings stand in Metropolis, one would have to climb a tower in Smallville approximately 180 feet tall.

Geology 101. And you thought you couldn't learn anything from an I-Net message board?

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Yeah, Nicodemus had Metropolis close enough you could see it from the top of the wind mill but later in the third season Truth, Chloe put it at three hours when she was amazed Clark was going to go all the way to Metropolis to get hotdogs from the football stadium since it was a three hour drive.

*shrug*

Pete: Clark's going to run to Metropolis to get us Shark Dogs from the stadium.

Chloe: What? Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up. You mean to tell me that Clark is driving six hours to pick up a couple of hot dogs?

Pete: Well, when Clark goes supersonic, he can make the round trip in 10 minutes.

Yeah, but this season Chloe doesn't even blink at her minimum 3-hour (6 hour's round trip) commute from the Talon to the Daily Planet every day. Wow, imagine spending at least 25% of your day just driving to and from work.

 

[Sun_Down]

It could be closer than 180 miles if traffic around the city is traditionally bad. Oakland and San Francisco are only like 10 miles apart, but I can remember it taking as long as an hour and a half in heavy traffic. Granted, Kansas isn't California, so the difference wouldn't be that much, but maybe traffic could lengthen/shorten the trip.

 

[SamuraiSon6]

Given the six hour round trip quoted by Chloe in Truth, a car driving at 60mph would place Metropolis approximately 180 miles away from Smallville. The average curvature of the Earth (barring mountains and abysses) is approximately one foot per mile distance, so a six foot tall person standing on the ground sees the ground only six miles away before things are obscured by the Earth. If Metropolis is 180 miles away, then a 17 story building (assuming the average height per story is 10 feet) would just crack the horizon to the eyes of a six foot tall person standing on the ground in Smallville. Conversely, in order to see the ground on which the buildings stand in Metropolis, one would have to climb a tower in Smallville approximately 180 feet tall.

Geology 101. And you thought you couldn't learn anything from an I-Net message board?

all right AgentPat, i hear ya!t: