Could a ‘Death Star’ Really Destroy a Planet?

A paper by David Boulderston (University of Leicester) sets out to answer that very question by estimating how much energy the Death Star would need in order to destroy a planet with its superlaser.

Boulderston assumed that the planet is a solid body of uniform density – essentially ignoring the complex interior of planets, due to lack of information on Alderaan itself. Using the idealized sphere model based on Earth’s mass and diameter, it was possible to determine the gravitational binding energy of Alderaan, using a simple equation of:

Where G is the Gravitational Constant (6.673×10-11), Mp is planet mass, and Rp is the planet’s radius. Using Earth’s mass and radius, the required energy comes out to 2.25×1032 Joules. Using Jupiter’s data, the energy required goes up to 2×1036 Joules.

According to Star Wars lore, the Death Star is powered by a ‘hypermatter’ reactor, possessing the energy output of several main-sequence stars. Given that the power output of our Sun is about 3×1026 Joules per second, it’s a reasonable assumption the Death Star’s reactor could power the superlaser.

Boulderstone’s conclusion is that the Death Star could indeed destroy Earth-like planets, given its main power source. While the Death Star could destroy an Earth-sized planet, a Jupiter-sized planet would be a tough challenge, requiring all power from essential systems and life support, which is not necessarily possible.