Malacandrian moons

The **Malacandrian moons** are the two moons of Malacandra, also known as Mars. They are not named in the text, but they are mentioned in passing in *Out of the Silent Planet*, as Ransom, Weston and Devine are returning to Thulcandra from Mars on board the Spaceship:

> "*He [ Ransom ] saw the two tiny Malacandrian moons — their movement quite perceptible — and reflected that they were among the thousand things he had not noticed during his sojourn there.*"
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Because neither of these moons is a primary planet, they do not have their own separate Oyarsa, but fall under that of Malacandra. They may occasionally be visited by eldila, but have no hnau of their own, nor have they been visited by Malancandrian hnau, since they display little or no interest in travelling off-planet.

However the Malacandrian moons do not dominate the night sky on the planet as much as Sulva does on Earth.

## Background

Only a limited amount was known about Mars was known at the time C.S. Lewis wrote, and only from Earth-based observation. The two bodies, named **Phobos and Deimos** respectively, were discovered by the American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Speculation about the existence of the moons of Mars had begun when the moons of Jupiter were discovered. When Galileo Galilei, as a hidden report about him having observed two bumps on the sides of Saturn (later discovered to be its rings), used the anagram *smaismrmilmepoetaleumibunenugttauiras* for *Altissimum planetam tergeminum observavi* ("I have observed the most distant planet to have a triple form"), Johannes Kepler had misinterpreted it to mean *Salve umbistineum geminatum Martia proles* (Hail, furious twins, sons of Mars).

Jonathan Swift, a fellow Irishman, had correctly guessed that Mars had two moons in his novel *Gulliver's Travels* (1726). In the Laputa section of the book, Swift writes that the Laputan scientists have:

> "*... likewise discovered two lesser stars, or satellites, which revolve around Mars, whereof the innermost is distant from the centre of the primary exactly three of his diameters, and the outermost five: the former revolves in the space of ten hours, and the latter in twenty-one and a half.*"
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The French author Voltaire, probably under Swift's influence, also wrote about Mars having two moons. Lewis knew that there were two moons, but in truth they are more like two captured asteroids.

### Astrological significance

Lewis' Space Trilogy owes something to astrology as well as astronomy. As his narrative correctly states their movement is rapid, which makes it difficult for a ground based astrologer, let alone an amateur, to calculate. Phobos and Deimos were unknown to mediæval astrologers, and were discovered during the age of telescopes.

They are named after the Greek mythological twin characters Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror and dread) who accompanied their father Ares (the Roman Mars) into battle. The word "Phobos" is related to the word "phobia".

Lewis' Mars narrative relates to astrology in the sense it reflects both masculine characteristics and conflict, but rather than seeing Phobos and Deimos as a mere adjunct to that, he describes them for being a metaphor of that which was unseen by Ransom. (Even before he leaves Kanakaberaka lists a host of things he hasn't seen on Mars including the homes of the Pfifltriggi.) Had Ransom studied the night sky more thoroughly with the sorns and/or remained on Malacandra, he may have seen the moons, but his visit was relatively brief.

## References

1. ↑ Galileo, Kepler, & Two Anagrams: Two Wrong Solutions Turn Into Two Correct Solutions.

## See also

* Sulva
* Asteroid Belt
* Neruval