Red Moon
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Copyright © 2012 The Office of Letters and Light :: All posted novel excerpts remain copyright their authors.
Red Moon
Hey, everyone. I just had a quick question, here. See, in my story, when seen from New Eden (The planet where the remainder of Humanity now lives), the moon appears to be 'red.' And I was just wondering, what would make it that appear that way - all the time. What elements would cause that appearance?
And also, what resources would a body like that contain, exactly?
Re: Red Moon
Keep the moon in a permanent state of eclispe, and it'll be red. Our moon looks red during lunar eclipses, but that's due to the way light bends around the Earth, much like sunsets.
It won't have to actually be red, and you can put whatever you want on it. Only trouble is that even a constant eclipse won't look that way from all planetary time zones.
Re: Red Moon
If a body like the moon were covered in ferric oxide that would give it a red look. In fact that's why the planet Mars looks red. It's got a lot of ferric oxide (also known as rust) just lying on the surface.
Re: Red Moon
Or, you know you could just make it red >>
you dont need to go into fancy explanations as to why its red, simple as that
Re: Red Moon
"The Commies are painting the Moon red!"
"So? Get up there and paint 'Coca Cola' on it!"
Re: Red Moon
Well yeah, I guess. But my writing style inhibits such possibilities, due to my nature to explain how everything works (without making it an encyclopedia or manual). Besides, it would comfort me more on knowing what made it red. I'm sure I could squeeze in a few plot-points if I did... and it'd probably come up eventually. :P
But hey, I'm thinking. Does it have to be all that mundane? What if it's all blood, that ancient alien species put in the soil to make it look cool. Obviously that's phooey, but I'm wondering if I *have* to keep it scientific. Any suggestions?
Re: Red Moon
It doesn't need to be scientific? ok, some alien race painted it red as 1. a warning not to land there because of the acid on the ground that makes holes in spacesuits. or: 2. a warning to stay off because it's their territory. 3. a sign of protest against their oppressors, who were an alien race that hated red and had an important basis on that moon. 4. some artwork 5. an invitation to come and trade on their trade station on the moon 6. a distraction: while the enemy is thinking why that moon is painted red, they can attack. 7... (red can really have any meaning in that alien race's culture).
Or: the moon was a garbage belt for some alien race and most of their garbage happened to be red, or to become red after a few honderd years, or to become red from a reaction with the soil of the moon.
or: the moon looks only red from the planet because it's ground is covered with a dense wood/flowers/other plants that are red. Or it's covered with a sea that looks red because 1. it's not water but a red liquid. 2. it's filled with a red kind of plankton
that's all the ideas I can think of now
Re: Red Moon
Great! Some of these I rather like. I was thinking of doing that "red weed" thing from War of the Worlds, but that ocean thing with the plankton was rather neat. Thanks, I'll be sure to keep an open mind for anything else people can think of. :)
Re: Red Moon
You could have it that the moon is drenched in the blood of a billion humans? >>
Re: Red Moon
It's a giant ruby that will, at the appropriate moment, be turned into a pumped-laser by the hero to destroy the villain's mountain fortress in a rain of fire from the heavens?
Re: Red Moon
Sorry, I meant "lasing cavity"