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NightfallNightfall by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The story I read was the original format penned by the author, and I also had the opportunity to listen to BBC radio adaptations of it.

While it's not one of my favorites, as I've entered my senior years, I've gained a new perspective that truly fascinates me. It's akin to the three-body problem, but with stars. The concept of a planet orbiting a star while all the other stars do not orbit the same central star raises intriguing questions. Could it be that the primary star and its companions are actually orbiting an unseen gravitational center, perhaps a black hole?

On the other hand, if you were a resident on this planet, you would naturally assume that all the other stars revolve around the primary star, much like how we perceive Jupiter's orbit around the sun in our own solar system. However, the truth is that both the Sun and Jupiter orbit a common gravitational center, and Jupiter's enormity is astonishing. It dwarfs the other planets in our solar system, even if they were combined into one mega-planet.

The story unfolds in a captivating manner. Although the inhabitants of the planet are not humans, the author cleverly uses the term "Humans and Mankind" for ease of reading as a short story. As an astronomy enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoyed how the narrative delved into the evolution of science and its theories based on peer-reviewed new evidence.

If you have an interest in astronomy, this story is definitely worth exploring. It beautifully illustrates how scientific knowledge evolves and adapts when confronted with fresh discoveries.





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