Moon

The Moon is the only natural satellite of Utopia. It is a large rocky body of a similar composition to Utopia and orbits at a close distance causing it to have a significant gravitational effect on Utopia, including contributions to the tides of Utopia’s oceans. Utopia in turn has a large gravitational effect on the Moon, causing it to be tidally locked to Utopia, meaning that one full rotation of the Moon is the same amount of time as its orbital period around Utopia.

The Moon is the largest moon in relation to its host planet, and is the third largest moon in the Helios system behind Orionite and Iro. The surface of the Moon is significantly cratered and covered in a fine dust of material ejected from these impacts. Due to its large size and distance, the moon can near-perfectly block the sun if both align, causing a solar eclipse. The moon is also the second brightest object in the sky behind the sun due to its close location to Utopia.

The Moon has been an important part of human culture since prehistory, being a major source of inspiration for art and religion. The early development of spaceflight was centered around exploring the moon. The first moon landing by the Meridian Commonwealth (Nation) in 1947 was seen as a landmark accomplishment and cemented the Meridian Commonwealth’s position as the preeminent scientific power of Utopia. Since then, multiple nations have established permanent lunar settlements, including the Meridian Commonweath’s New Shiraz Province and Lake Perseverance, an independent nation of multiple lunar bases.

Provide by ArsonistGlaceon(User)