Star Wars: On Location

STAR WARS LOCATION: Ahch-To
REAL-WORLD LOCATION: Skellig Islands, Ireland

STAR WARS LOCATION: Ahch-To
REAL-WORLD LOCATION: Skellig Islands, Ireland

You’ve probably seen 2015’s The Force Awakens, but if not . . . spoiler alert! The movie ends with a cliffhanger, when the film’s protagonist, Rey, tracks down Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. She finds him on an isolated, rocky island on the water-covered planet of Ahch-To. Previews for The Last Jedi hint that Skywalker trains Rey in this beautiful hideaway, safe from the clutches of the villainous First Order.

The island that serves as a refuge for the movie’s heroes is, in reality, another type of sanctuary: one for seabirds. Great Skellig, an island off the southwest coast of Ireland, is home to one of the world’s largest gannet bird colonies, says John O’Halloran, an ornithologist who studies birds at University College Cork in Ireland. About 20,000 pairs of gannets breed there.

You’ve probably seen 2015’s The Force Awakens. But if not . . . spoiler alert! The movie ends with a cliffhanger. The main character, Rey, tracks down Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. She finds him on a lonely, rocky island on the water-covered planet of Ahch-To. Previews for The Last Jedi hint that Skywalker trains Rey here. In this beautiful hideout, they’re safe from the clutches of the evil First Order.

The island serves as a safe spot for the movie’s heroes. In real life, it’s another type of sanctuary: one for seabirds. Great Skellig is an island off the southwest coast of Ireland. It’s home to one of the world’s largest gannet bird colonies, says John O’Halloran. He’s an ornithologist who studies birds at University College Cork in Ireland. About 20,000 pairs of gannets breed on the island.

Great Skellig and neighboring Little Skellig are part of the Valentia Slate Formation, the region’s oldest rock formation. It formed about 385 million years ago, as the area’s ancient tectonic plates collided with one another. These giant, slowly moving slabs of rock make up Earth’s crust, or surface. Huge amounts of heat and pressure were created as the plates smashed together. Over time, these forces transformed soft sedimentary rock—made up of tiny pieces of sediment cemented together—into hard metamorphic rock.

Great Skellig and nearby Little Skellig are part of the Valentia Slate Formation. That’s the region’s oldest rock formation. It formed about 385 million years ago, as the area’s ancient tectonic plates smashed together. These giant, slowly moving slabs of rock make up Earth’s crust, or surface. The smashing plates created huge amounts of heat and pressure. These forces changed soft sedimentary rock, which is made up of tiny pieces of sediment stuck together. Over time, the heat and pressure turned it into hard metamorphic rock.

Metamorphic rock protects the islands from being weathered, or gradually broken down, by the powerful ocean. “The Skellig Islands are constantly battered by waves from the Atlantic Ocean,” says Bettie Higgs, a geologist also from University College Cork.

The ancient rock also gives Great Skellig its jagged, imposing landscape—a breathtaking setting for a Jedi Master to teach his apprentice the ways of the Force.

The powerful ocean can slowly break down islands. But metamorphic rock protects these islands from being weathered. “The Skellig Islands are constantly battered by waves from the Atlantic Ocean,” says geologist Bettie Higgs. She’s also from University College Cork.

The ancient rock also gives Great Skellig its jagged, impressive landscape. It’s a thrilling setting for a Jedi Master to teach his apprentice the ways of the Force.

The final battle scene from 1983’s Return of the Jedi takes place on the forest-covered moon of Endor. The Rebels, with the help of their furry Ewok friends, face off against Darth Vader’s Galactic Empire.

Filming for some of the scenes took place in the Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California. “It’s a very ancient, primeval-looking place,” says Mike Poole, one of the park’s rangers. The oldest known coast redwood tree in the park is more than 2,000 years old. These gigantic trees can grow more than 10 stories tall and can have a diameter of almost 9 meters (30 feet).

In 1983’s Return of the Jedi, the moon of Endor is covered with forests. That’s where the film’s final battle scene takes place. The Rebels and their furry Ewok friends face off against Darth Vader’s Galactic Empire.

Some of the scenes were filmed in the Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California. Mike Poole is one of the park’s rangers. “It’s a very ancient, primeval looking place,” he says. The oldest known coast redwood tree in the park is more than 2,000 years old. These giant trees can grow more than 10 stories tall. Their diameter can reach almost 9 meters (30 feet).

The park is an old-growth forest. Trees in old-growth forests tend to vary in age and height, creating a staggered canopy. The uneven treetops allow sunlight to reach the ground, so a lush blanket of shrubs and ferns can grow on the floor.

California’s redwood forest is rare in that during its long life it hasn’t suffered any severe damage from fires, logging, disease, or insect infestations. It’s not the mystical power of the Force that protects these trees, though. Redwoods have developed adaptations that shield them from their natural enemies, explains Poole. These adaptations include thick, damp bark that makes the trees fire-resistant and sap that consists mainly of water instead of the sticky, flammable resin found in most trees. Finally, a chemical called tannin, which gives the trees’ bark its red hue, wards off fungal growth and insect infestations.

Because of their incredible ability to survive, Poole says, these redwoods were given the Latin name Sequoia sempervirens—meaning “ever green” or “ever living.” These forests are also home to hundreds of animal species . . . but, unfortunately, no Ewoks.

The park is an old-growth forest. Trees in old-growth forests are usually different ages and heights. This creates an uneven canopy of treetops. It allows sunlight to reach the ground, so a thick blanket of shrubs and ferns can grow on the forest floor.

California’s redwood forest is rare. During its long life, it hasn’t suffered any serious harm from fires, logging, disease, or insect attacks. But the mystical power of the Force isn’t what keeps these trees safe. Redwoods have adaptations that protect them from their natural enemies, explains Poole. These adaptations include thick, damp bark that makes the trees fire-resistant. Most trees have sticky resin that easily catches fire, but redwoods have sap made mainly of water. Finally, a chemical called tannin gives the trees’ bark its red color. This chemical also fights fungal growth and insect attacks.

These redwoods have an amazing ability to survive. Poole says that’s why they were given the Latin name Sequoia sempervirens. It means “ever green” or “ever living.” These forests are also home to hundreds of animal species . . . but, sadly, no Ewoks.

The Battle of Hoth is undoubtedly one of fans’ favorite scenes from 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. It takes place on Hoth, a planet covered in snow and ice. Filming for the epic conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire took place on the Hardangerjøkulen (har-dan-ger-yoh-koo-len) glacier in Norway.

This slowly moving mass of snow and ice is located in the southern part of the country. It is 1,863 m (6,112 ft) above sea level—the highest altitude in the region. At those heights, snow doesn’t melt, explains Richard Alley, a geologist at Penn State University in Pennsylvania who studies glaciers. Instead, snow builds up and flattens out.

The Battle of Hoth is surely one of fans’ favorite scenes from 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. It takes place on Hoth, a planet covered in snow and ice. Of course, the great battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire wasn’t filmed on another planet. It took place on the Hardangerjøkulen (har-dan-ger-yoh-koolen) glacier in Norway.

A glacier is a slowly moving mass of snow and ice. This one lies in the southern part of the country. It is 1,863 m (6,112 ft) above sea level. That’s the highest spot in the region. At those heights, snowfall doesn’t melt, explains Richard Alley. He’s a geologist at Penn State University in Pennsylvania who studies glaciers. Snow builds up and flattens out instead.

“As fresh snow piles up in the highest, coldest area in the glacier’s center, the weight of the snow forces it to spread outward like pancake batter on a griddle,” says Alley. He explains that if you were to put GPS markers—devices that can track an object’s position on Earth—near the center of the glacier, you could observe the markers spreading out over time.

This movement is responsible for variations seen in the glacier’s appearance, says Alley. As the fresh, white snow at the glacier’s center moves outward from higher to lower elevations, the snow melts. The melting creates big crevasses, or gaps. It also makes the ice at the glacier’s edges gray and blue. “The variation of the landscape would have made it an ideal location for filming,” says Alley.

“As fresh snow piles up in the highest, coldest area in the glacier’s center, the weight of the snow forces it to spread outward like pancake batter on a griddle,” says Alley. GPS markers can track an object’s position on Earth. What if you put them near the center of the glacier? Alley explains that you could see the markers spreading out over time.

This movement causes differences in the glacier’s appearance, says Alley. The fresh, white snow at the glacier’s center moves outward from the higher spots. As it reaches lower areas, the snow melts. The melting creates big crevasses, or gaps. It also makes the ice at the glacier’s edges gray and blue. “The variation of the landscape would have made it an ideal location for filming,” says Alley.