10 Things Movies Get Wrong About Space
4. Mercury Moves Too Quickly Around The Sun - Sunshine
Everyone loves a good eclipse, don't they?
The crew aboard the Icarus II in Danny Boyle's Sunshine (2007) would definitely agree as they all rushed to witness one of the most distinct mini eclipses a human being would ever be likely to see. That of Mercury passing by the Sun, up close and personal during their mission to reignite the big ball of hot gas.
However, despite this being a rather awe inspiring moment, the speed Mercury is travelling in the scene isn't what you'd call error-free.
In the sequence, Mercury goes flying round the Sun at a rather insane pace, bearing in mind that in Earth time it takes around 88 days for the planet to make its way around the shining sphere. Witnessing a group of astronauts get fed up of staring at a planet slowly moving across a dying Sun for days on end likely wouldn't make for a riveting scene, though.
That being said, it's hard to argue that any human being would have a different reaction to that of the Icarus II's crew when faced with such an astonishing visual. It's so pretty.