In Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization, "the Long Night" is the significant phrase repeatedly used to describe the collapse of interstellar civilization after the Fall of the Terran Empire.
In Verne's Around The Moon, we encounter this same phrase as a chapter title but here it means literally the fifteen day lunar night. On the lunar Far Side, neither the Sun nor the Earth is above at night. Thus, when the projectile is above Far Side at night, it is plunged into darkness and then into extreme cold with ice on the portholes. The astronauts must use gas for both light and heat. By passing a thermometer on a cord through a porthole, they measure the temperature of space as 140 degrees Centigrade.
Verne's text is full of documentary data not integrated into the narrative but I am determined to finish the book to find out what the astronauts see on the Moon and how they return to Earth. Even more interesting will be the contents of Verne's remaining two interplanetary novels.
3 comments:
Hi, Paul!
The long night of the Moon? The Long Night of Terra? I'm reminded of this bit at the end of Poul Anderson's story "The Communicators":
"I suppose not," Luizo could barely be heard. "Good night to you. Eternally returning night."
"How else can dere be sunrises?" Duma asked, and left the Communicators alone.
There is much which can be pondered and reflected on even in so brief a text!
Sean
Sean:
"Good night"
I recall Tolkien's elves talking about when night was or would be as welcome as day.
See also how stargazers these days complain about light pollution.
Kaor, Jim!
Which is why the Vatican Observatory no longer operates a telescope at Castel Gandolfo in the Alban Hills, south of Rome. Because of light pollution. Instead the telescope is now located on Mt. Graham in Az, USA.
Ad astra! Sean
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