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This question relates to this one:

Why and how can you hear explosions in space in Star Wars?

Among the answers are this one and this one, among others, that simple put, point out that just because we, the audience, can hear the sounds, doesn't mean they exist in universe.

There are entries, like this comment which assert it is something the TIE fighters are artificially generating to make use of more of the pilots sense and give them situational awareness.

But amost all these answers, the point doesn't appear resolved.

So:

Do we have evidence in-canon about whether the characters can hear other ships and/or hear explosions as depicted to the audience?

In other words, are the sounds diagetic ?

clarification: It matters whether they react to the sounds, not how the sounds are generated or get to their ears.

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ThePopMachine
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  • I just answered this on the linked question. They cannot. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 17:36
  • @Null: Does not address TIE fighters. – ThePopMachine Sep 16 '15 at 17:47
  • Yes, it does: the space in Star Wars is a vacuum and is unable to transmit sound, whether from an explosion or TIE fighter or whatever. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 17:50
  • @Null: No, because of the suggestion that the TIE fighter can be generating artificial sound to give the pilot situational awareness. The pilots would still hear this in the cockpit even if not transmitted through space. – ThePopMachine Sep 16 '15 at 17:51
  • @Null: Frankly, I expect someone will supply a clip of a TIE fighter pilot reacting to the sound. – ThePopMachine Sep 16 '15 at 17:52
  • The comment is suggesting that the Millennium Falcon's computer is simulating the TIE fighter sounds. But Luke and Han weren't wearing spacesuits so they were clearly not in a vacuum. Hence, the sound was not being transmitted through space -- it was being transmitted from the computer's speakers through the Falcon's atmosphere to Luke and Han's ears. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 17:55
  • @Null: Precisely my point. I'm not asking how the sound is generated or transmitted. I'm asking if the characters can hear it, regardless of the source (real or computer generated). You keep answering a different question. (By the way, this is part of why this is a different question than the proposed dupe.) – ThePopMachine Sep 16 '15 at 17:57
  • Do characters speak to each other while clearing mynocks off the Millennium Falcon in the "cave" on the asteroid in Empire Strikes Back? Without watching the film again, I'm not sure if they talk to each other outside in what's presumably near vacuum (aside from some moisture), or if they only speak inside the Falcon. – recognizer Sep 16 '15 at 19:22
  • @recognizer They seemed fine using only breathing masks, so I doubt it was a near-vacuum. – Rogue Jedi Sep 16 '15 at 19:57
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    @Null I posit that space in Star Wars is either not a vaccum, or a vaccum that can transmit sound. It matters not whether this is possible in the real world; Star Wars is a highly fantastical space-opera. Space combat itself, as presented in Star Wars, is not physically viable... no need to worry about the transmission of sound :) – Andres F. Sep 16 '15 at 20:06
  • I'm moving to reopen under the simple logic that neither is the other question the same, nor does the purported answer to the other question which answers this question actually answer this question. All the discussion here makes this clear. – ThePopMachine Sep 16 '15 at 20:10
  • @ThePopMachine At least 5 users thought this was a dupe and you received an answer nearly identical to another answer in the original question. In light of this, it is not "simple logic" that the two questions are different. I don't see how your edit makes any difference: if the sound gets to their ears (e.g. because it's simulated) then they will obviously react to it (whether we can detect the reaction or not), if it doesn't (e.g. because sound isn't transmitted through space) then they will obviously not react to it. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 20:18
  • @AndresF. While space combat in Star Wars is not realistic, Disney is making a concerted effort to make Star Wars slightly less fantastical. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 20:19
  • @Null: Frankly, you just keep ignoring the question to fit it into your perception. When I try to clarify, you ignore it. I don't care if sound is transmitted in space I'm asking if there are scenes where the characters are reacting to the sounds we hear, regardless of why or how ! – ThePopMachine Sep 16 '15 at 20:25
  • @Null Well, that's a damn shame. I liked my Star Wars with a mystical, unexplained Force, puppet-like aliens, WWII space combat and absurd, impractical beam weapons which can be outclassed by a single machinegun from WWI. But I guess that ship has sailed :/ – Andres F. Sep 16 '15 at 21:27

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No, sound can not naturally be heard in space in Star Wars.

The novel Lords of the Sith (which is canon) states:

[Vader's] ship slammed into the gun bubble and the transport, the inability of the vacuum to transmit sound causing the collision to occur in eerie silence. (Page 16)

This pretty clearly shows that space explosions can't be heard in-universe.

Rogue Jedi
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  • This looks suspiciously like my previous answer. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 17:41
  • @Null I started writing this before you posted your comment. – Rogue Jedi Sep 16 '15 at 17:58
  • If Vader's ship physically collided with something shouldn't there have been sound inside both of the ships, transmitted through the hull? – Xantec Sep 16 '15 at 18:13
  • @Xantec Vader was outside of the ship at the time, which is why he couldn't hear it. I've updated my original answer to include more context and make this clear. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 18:46
  • @Null I see. Thanks; I've not read the book in question. – Xantec Sep 16 '15 at 18:47
  • @Xantec Of course. Thanks to your comment I was able to improve my answer. – Null Sep 16 '15 at 18:49
  • It's unfortunate this was accepted into canon, since it's obviously a retcon, and we all know Star Wars is a space fantasy where the laws of physics don't hold, and empty space can transmit sound because of the Rule of Cool. – Andres F. Sep 16 '15 at 20:04
  • If Vader was outside the ship at the time, this passage doesn't really rule out the theory that Star Wars ships come equipped with devices that artificially create sounds corresponding to nearby ships (and explosions and blaster fire), as suggested by the part of the question that referenced the idea that "it is something the TIE fighters are artificially generating to make use of more of the pilots sense and give them situational awareness." – Hypnosifl Jan 12 '16 at 05:17