h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

61 moons? Does Jupiter really have 61 moons? I'm astounded! Why can't we have a couple of those... probably nobody would notice if Jupiter suddenly only had 59 moons...

Can't remember where I've found that figure.... And they're probably not counting the smaller pebbles revolving around the planet either.

Wouldn't they be even grateful if we lowered the amount of Jupiter moons to 42?

Yeah, and then we would have... hmmm... about 20 moons!

I think it would worth doing just to see what happens to the tides...
Orion

The surfers would get confused.

Hmm, I actually made that point about the tides way back on the first page.

Reminds me of something I was told when I first joined the site - the second rule is that no one reads the back log.

The first rule being to always read the back log.

The tides would be mucked up a bit, but hey, it would make things a little more interesting.

Backlog? What backlog?

I sometimes wonder how the presence of several moons may have affected human civilisation sometimes. If the tides had been too dreadful, would we have tried so hard to cross the sea? What about the mysticism related to the moon?

That backlog, there *points to previous postings*

Hmm, I wonder just how bad the seas would be with a few more moons.

The whole history of the human race would be changed if we had extra moons, would we have discoverd amercia when we did? etc etc.
I suppose we put our heads together with the h2g2 Society of Time Travellers (of which im also a member, lovely bunch of chaps they are to!) and devise a plan to end a moon back several million years!
Just a thought...
Orion

Maybe the astronomers society would know something.

Nah, they're all too busy watching Venus!

Well, that finished middayish and they've 8 years or so until the next one

KlaasVaak

Yes, I really would like the company of Io, Europe and Ganymedes. I even think our own lovely moon bemourns its loneliness. I feel pity for him, for I think of our full moon as a male, as he stares down on us with his eyes full of sorrow.
With the new moon I think of an lovely slender blackhaired woman, mysterious and demanding, who looks down on her beautiful but spoiled child, the earth.
So I see our moon as man-woman. I cannot grasp their relationship. But wouldn't it be nice to extend the family with lovely creatures as Io, Europe and Ganymedes. Jupiter wouldn't miss them. He has so many more moons.

Nice description of our moon. I never though of its duality in these terms

Mysticism. I'm not quite sure, but the rumour is that Adam had a first wife before God created Eve out of Adam's rib. The name of the first wife is Lillith. The story is a bit confused. One version is that God was unhappy about his first creation, destroyed it and made a second attempt with a new Adam and gave him a new companion, Eve.
Another version is that Adam and Lillith started quarreling. They quarreled about sex and power. Lillith fed up with Adam abandoned him and went to live at the dark side of the moon. God feeling pity for Adam, made him a new, more 'docile'companion, Eve. The rest of the story of Adam and Eve is well-known.
Lillith on the other hand is still associated with paganism and witchcraft. She is the new moon, the time to start new projects and to put young plants in the garden. In southern Europe she is the embodiment of the black madonna.
Now back to business of more moons: a few years ago I read in the newspaper that the Russians came up with the idea of putting up several satelites in the sky. These satelites would act as mirrors. They would reflect the sunlight on their northern territories so it wouldn't be quite so dark in winter. I do not know what happenéd to this idea. I heard of it no more. Still, apart from provoking his rage if we
kidnap some of Jupiter's moons (which could lead to galactic war), wouldn't the Earth be soaked in sunlight with some extra moons that reflect the light of the sun?
With so much light at night, would we still be able to see the stars at
night, or would it be perpetual daytime?
I'm sorry, am I talking to much?

I would like to become a proud Moon Moaner! When humans use up all of Earth's natural resources and we have to retreat to some other floating rock, do you really think all those people are going to fit on the moon? More moons would be practical! Maybe we should start a collection jar to save up for a brand new moon - who needs one of Jupiter's extra ones when we can create our own super moon?

Done!

That suggestion a few posts back, of counting all the pebbles . . . if we count all the geostatic satellites, how many moons have we now?

Look, it is full moon. Time to swoon, you ninnies. And you, she-bitches, howl and holler!