Fiction > The Children of Tellus > The Outer Solar System > The Moons of Herschel

The Moons of Herschel

Herschel has five major moons. Yar, the first and smallest, was not known to Tellurians before the Martians arrived. The others were discovered on one very caffeinated night, by the genius polymath Oscar Wilde. Historians are still unsure how he did it. Oscar Wilde wasn't either:

"I don't know how I did it."

— Oscar Wilde

§ 1 Yar

Yar is a small satellite, mostly composed of water ice. Though too small to maintain a subsurface ocean, Yar remains geologically active. Its surface is criss-crossed by faults, craters, and rupes, and many of its regions are geologically young. Yar is named after an ancient Martian deity, either a god of wine or elephants.

§ 2 Trelane

Trelane appears dark from orbit (probably a result of its interaction with Herschel's magnetosphere). Trelane is mostly composed of ice, with the remainder split between rocks and tholins. Its interior is differentiated into a rocky core and an icy mantle, and there may have been an layer of water in the distant past. There is occasional cryovolcanic activity, but this is driven by isolated subsurface brines.

Trelane houses the sole manned research site around Herschel, which is controlled by the Karashan Empire.

Trelane was named after Oscar Wilde's boyfriend's sister's tailor's hamster, who was also called Boris. Oscar Wilde is said to have met Trelane while eating a jar of peanut butter.

"I ate an entire jar of peanut butter, and I didn't even have a spoon!"

— Oscar Wilde

§ 3 Keeler

Keeler is of similar size and composition to Trelane, but with an even darker surface. Unlike Trelane, there's a subsurface sea at its core-mantle boundary. But, as the moon has cooler, it's grown thinner. Its surface is heavily cratered and has remained so for millions of years.

Keeler was named after Oscar Wilde's boyfriend's sister's mistress. She is said to have removed Wilde's kidneys when he was ill.

"The only thing worse than being talked about is losing your kidneys."

— Oscar Wilde

§ 4 Mudd

Less cratered than its siblings, Mudd appears dark and ruddy to the naked eye. It was geologically active in the distant past, and is covered by lots of relatively new terrain, along with constant faulting. At the core-mantle boundary, there's enough ammonia to act as antifreeze, which sustains a thin subsurface sea.

No one knows what or whom Mudd is named after, including Oscar Wilde.

“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”

— Oscar Wilde

§ 5 Kara

Kara is the reddest of Herschel's moons, though recent impact craters appear faintly blue. It is also split between a rocky core and icy mantle. There was an ocean many eons ago, but it has long since frozen.

Kara was named after a random person Oscar Wilde bumped into on the street. Many have lobbied to name the moon Kirk, in honor of the renowned furrier Charlie Tiberius Kirk.