Kalgash
Encyclopedia
Kalgash is the fictional world on which Isaac Asimov
and Robert Silverberg
base their book Nightfall. As stated in the “To the reader” section at the beginning of the book, Kalgash is depicted in Earth
equivalent terms, such that when the book says "it’s raining", it is referring to the phenomena that is the equivalent to the inhabitants of Kalgash to rain.
used in the book is analogous to the meteorologic experiences of the characters in the book. The first major weather fluctuation mentioned in the book is the sand storm that fictional archeologist Siferra 89 avoided by hiding under a tarpaulin
with her crew. The other meteorological event was the monsoon
like rains that occurred after Sheerin 501 returned from a consultation in the fictional city
Jonglor.
and described to be situated near mountains. In addition to this, Beklimot is in a desert
region, one that is both sandy and arid
.
The majority of the book takes place in Saro city. The region of Saro city receives rains that last several days. The city itself is situated near a large forest which plays host to trees, bushes, and Graben (scavenger animals).
object in Kalgash’s sky is the star
Onos. The other five suns are minor in comparison, but provide adequate light
to prevent the inhabitants of Kalgash from defining "night
".
There are six stars in Kalgash’s stellar neighborhood: Onos, Dovim, Trey, Patru, Tano, and Sitha (Alpha, Beta, etc. in the original short story). From what can be drawn from the text, Onos, the star appearing brightest and largest in Kalgash's sky, is the star Kalgash orbits. Onos in turn partakes in an orbit around the binary system
Trey and Patru, the other binary system Tano and Sitha, and the red dwarf star Dovim.
In addition to the stars (as well as the only other celestial
object mentioned) there is Kalgash’s moon, dubbed Kalgash Two by the scientists of Kalgash. Kalgash Two follows an eccentric orbit
around Kalgash and eclipses Dovim, during a period when Dovim is the only star visible from one part of Kalgash, every 2049 years.
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
and Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
base their book Nightfall. As stated in the “To the reader” section at the beginning of the book, Kalgash is depicted in Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
equivalent terms, such that when the book says "it’s raining", it is referring to the phenomena that is the equivalent to the inhabitants of Kalgash to rain.
Weather
As stated in the introduction, the weatherWeather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
used in the book is analogous to the meteorologic experiences of the characters in the book. The first major weather fluctuation mentioned in the book is the sand storm that fictional archeologist Siferra 89 avoided by hiding under a tarpaulin
Tarpaulin
A tarpaulin, colloquially tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. In some places such as Australia, and in military slang, a tarp may be known as a...
with her crew. The other meteorological event was the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
like rains that occurred after Sheerin 501 returned from a consultation in the fictional city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
Jonglor.
Climate
The characters of Nightfall travel to three separate locations on Kalgash. First Sheerin 501 travels to Jonglor, which is described as a “northern” city. Siferra 89 travels to Beklimot, which is described as “half a world away [from Jonglor].” Beklimot is located on the Sagikan PeninsulaPeninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
and described to be situated near mountains. In addition to this, Beklimot is in a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
region, one that is both sandy and arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
.
The majority of the book takes place in Saro city. The region of Saro city receives rains that last several days. The city itself is situated near a large forest which plays host to trees, bushes, and Graben (scavenger animals).
Astronomical environment
The primary celestialCelestial
- Science :* Sky objects, bodies and the following astronomy terms:** Astronomical objects, see for detailed description of celestial bodies and objects** Celestia, a 3D astronomy program that allows users to travel through the universe...
object in Kalgash’s sky is the star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
Onos. The other five suns are minor in comparison, but provide adequate light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
to prevent the inhabitants of Kalgash from defining "night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
".
There are six stars in Kalgash’s stellar neighborhood: Onos, Dovim, Trey, Patru, Tano, and Sitha (Alpha, Beta, etc. in the original short story). From what can be drawn from the text, Onos, the star appearing brightest and largest in Kalgash's sky, is the star Kalgash orbits. Onos in turn partakes in an orbit around the binary system
Binary system
Binary system may refer to:* Binary numeral system, the base-2 internal "machine language" of computers* Binary opposition, a bipolar distinction in philosophy, structuralism and critical theory...
Trey and Patru, the other binary system Tano and Sitha, and the red dwarf star Dovim.
In addition to the stars (as well as the only other celestial
Celestial
- Science :* Sky objects, bodies and the following astronomy terms:** Astronomical objects, see for detailed description of celestial bodies and objects** Celestia, a 3D astronomy program that allows users to travel through the universe...
object mentioned) there is Kalgash’s moon, dubbed Kalgash Two by the scientists of Kalgash. Kalgash Two follows an eccentric orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
around Kalgash and eclipses Dovim, during a period when Dovim is the only star visible from one part of Kalgash, every 2049 years.