Main image via Newsweek
The capital of China's Sichuan province, Chengdu, has just announced an outrageous plan to launch an illuminated satellite that will light up the city. The satellite, which has been dubbed as an "artificial moon", aims to help save electricity.
Wu Chunfeng, chairman of the Chengdu Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute Co., Ltd, announce the plan to the public this month during the national mass innovation and entrepreneurship activity.
Image via TechWorm
As the "artificial moon" can produce eight times the light that the real moon emits at night, the project could potentially make street lights obsolete.
According to the Shanghaiist, Wu and his company had already began testing the satellite years ago! He noted that the project has fully matured since then and is now prepared for launch in 2020.
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The moon will cover a diameter of 10 to 80 kilometres complete with a fully controlled, precise illumination range of a few dozen metres.
Although the project seems promising, there are officials who have expressed their concern that the illumination created by the moon could pose adverse effects on the circadian rhythms of certain animals in the area.
However, the director of the Institute of Optics, School of Aerospace at the Harbin Institute of Technology, Kang Weimin, explained that the light produced will be "similar to a dusk-like glow" that should not have any effects on the animals.
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This electricity-saving project was inspired by an idea of a mirror necklace hanging above the planet that would reflect the light of the streets of Paris - originally envisioned by a French artist.
What do you think about having an "artificial moon"?
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