Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

People selling property on the Moon eventually will be prosecuted as scam artists. The same treaties that renounce any claims of sovereign nations over any of the planets or other extra-terrestrial bodies also prohibit the granting of private property rights to them. How could it be otherwise? Property rights are granted and mediated by sovereign nations! How stupid do you think the UN is? (Ok, don't answer that one...) Anyone who thought about the issue for 10 minutes would realize that disallowing sovereign claims would have to also disallow private property to prevent 'proxy' control.

[ January 28, 2004, 17:57: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

Although, if someone were to figure out a way to get to the moon with some people, they could make a potentially legitimate claim of sovereignty. The moon, or some portion of it would be then a new independant country. They'd have to be recognized of course by the nations of earth for it to mean anything. But I cannot as a private citizen of the US claim a part of the moon, because as Baron says, in effect that is saying the US has proxy control over that territory. And the US and other nations have signed treaties forbiding that.

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

Baron I think your right only because there is no nation going up there. I think the whole issue will change (including existing treaties you mentioned) if one country (or a group of them such as the E.U.) makes it a priority to go to the moon or other planetoid. What is there to stop someone if there is no one else there and by the time there would be competing Countries, the infrastructure would be there and the owning country would just say, move on over there, we were here first.

I think it would be interesting to see how things will go, but I assure you the countries that do not spend the money to go "out there" will DEMAND their portion of the pie.

But as I said it is moot now, no one is actually doing anything. even if we get a science outpost on the moon wouldnt count, not big enough project.

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

Of course, if the current political climate of the USA continues on course it's entirely possible that some future administration will simply withdraw from the treaties if it finds some advantage in doing so and claim the Moon as US territory.

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

I'm not sure if this has been said yet because I don't have the time to read the entire thread but didn't the US sign a treaty stating that no country can claim a planet or moon or whatever for themselves. I don't remember where I heard this or any details about it but if someone else knows of this treaty could they give me a link to it or explain it in detail.

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

LOL, we dont need no stinking treaty. Actually as Baron pointed out there are treaties ect in place. I just don't think it will mean anything once someone gets out there, then they will use possesion is 9/10ths of the law.

I do disagree with you Baron, I don't think the current political climate means any thing. I think once SOMEONE gets the momentum out in space, then expansion will happen, but this time there will not be any native peoples displaced. Could a country take complete control of Mars? I doubt it, perhaps some area the size of one of our states.

It either that or it will be corporations running everything.

I guess depending on your point of view which will be the lessor of evil?

But heck the next 50 years will be interesting times I think.

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">reminds me of a chinese curse, it does.

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

Personally, I think the issue will really revolve around whether there is anything of value there to somebody. Take for instance, Antarctica. There is a plot of land down there that no one's fighting over. In fact, there is a joint effort science establishment there. And IIRC, there are treaties in place saying something similar to those about the moon. Why? 'Cause there's not much there anyone wants EXCEPT the scientific community.

So until we can economically get that He3 molecule (or whatever that post was describing about Helium) or find huge reserves of gold or other precious substances, the moon isn't worth it for anyone to fight over...except of course the con men... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yup, a page or two ago. I agree its the ONLY logical choice... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: What is the Name our Moon?
 

IIRC the Greek/Roman goddess Artemis/Dione was called Selene when associated to the moon, just as her brother Apollo was called Febo (or Phebo or whatever is the correct spelling in English) when associated to the sun. I think Selene and Febo were older Latin gods that were later fusioned into Dione and Apollo when they adopted the Greek religion, but they were still called by those names when associated to the lights in the sky.

As it was mentioned earlier moon translates into my mother language, Spanish, as 'luna'.
So calling 'la luna' 'Luna' or 'el sol' 'Sol' sounds to me as redundant as calling the moon Moon. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Anyway I think that the correct statement is not "our moon is called Moon" (or Luna or translate into any other language you like), but "our natural satellite is called Moon".

More on Spanish:
'to land on the moon' translates as 'alunizar', as the normal verb for 'to land' is 'aterrizar' and derives from Tierra (Earth).
ISTR an article where it said that other words that derive from Tierra should be changed when applied to 'la Luna' such as 'luneo' instead of 'terreno' (piece of land).
And some recent news reports used the verb 'amarizar' when referring to landing on Mars.

ISTR some sci-fi story where the natives of the moon where called Selenites or some word derived from Selene. I guess that something derived from Luna would sound too similar to loony or lunatic. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif