
The math of why it’s so hard to build a spherical Death Star in space (2018) - Tomte
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/09/the-math-of-why-its-so-hard-to-build-a-spherical-death-star-in-space/
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gus_massa
> _But when Orlin did the calculations, he found that the size at which
> objects take on the shape of a sphere is about 400 kilometers in diameter,
> which is significantly larger than the ~160km Death Star._

> _That 's why Orlin's hypothetical Imperial team physicist keeps insisting
> the Death Star should be more lumpy, shaped like an asteroid._

That conclusion doesn't make any sense. A big object (400km) made from a
standard material (rock) in space must have a spherical shape due to gravity.
It doesn't imply that a smaller object can't have a spherical shape. The
Sputnik had a spherical shape in spite it was small (58cm=.00058km).

If you build it, and it is not big enough, you can make it with the shape you
like, a sphere, a rocket like object, a giant robot like the SDF-1. It's more
complicated and as you approach the threshold you will have problems with
stupid long shapes, and you will forced to pick a sphere like shape. But
spheres are always possible (assuming an even internal distribution).

(If it is rotating, or the internal distribution is not even, you will be
forced to a shape that is not a perfect sphere, like the Earth.)

