Summary Somnium - A Dream, by Johannes Kepler - Frosty Drew Observatory & Sky Theatre frostydrew.org
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One Line
"Somnium - A Dream" is a sci-fi story that takes place on Levania, a moon-like planet with distinctive features and occurrences.
Slides
Slide Presentation (11 slides)
Key Points
- "Somnium - A Dream" by Johannes Kepler is considered the first science fiction story, combining mathematics, astronomy, and adventure.
- The story takes place on Levania, a moon-like planet, and describes its unique features and celestial phenomena.
- Levania is divided into two hemispheres: Subvolva and Privolva, with different experiences of day and night.
- The journey to Levania from Earth is dangerous and requires physically fit individuals.
- Levania has its own poles, latitude and longitude system, and unique flora and fauna.
- The Subvolvans have a constant presence of their Volva in the sky, which helps them measure time and seasons.
- Eclipses occur on Levania, with the Subvolvans experiencing frequent eclipses due to the long days and nights.
- Kepler's dream ends abruptly when he is awakened by a storm, and the story was published in the recording jacket of Fresh Aire V.
Summaries
20 word summary
Kepler's "Somnium - A Dream" is a sci-fi story set on Levania, a moon-like planet with unique characteristics and phenomena.
62 word summary
Johannes Kepler's “Somnium - A Dream” is a science fiction story set on Levania, a moon-like planet. Divided into Subvolva and Privolva, Levania offers unique characteristics and celestial phenomena. Traveling to Levania is dangerous and requires physically fit individuals. The Subvolvans experience perpetual daylight and frequent eclipses, while the Privolvans endure extreme cold and darkness. Kepler's dream ends abruptly with a storm.
123 word summary
Johannes Kepler's "Somnium - A Dream" is a science fiction story written during a time of conflict between the Catholic Church and the Copernican Revolution. Set on Levania, a moon-like planet, the story explores its unique characteristics and celestial phenomena. Levania is divided into two hemispheres: Subvolva and Privolva. The Subvolvans always have their Volva in the sky, while the Privolvans do not. Traveling to Levania is dangerous and requires physically fit individuals. The Privolvans endure extreme cold and darkness during their long nights, while the Subvolvans enjoy perpetual daylight. Both hemispheres have distinct flora and fauna. Eclipses are frequent for the Subvolvans, who measure time based on the phases of the Volva. Kepler's dream abruptly ends when he awakens from a storm.
372 word summary
"Somnium - A Dream" by Johannes Kepler is a groundbreaking science fiction story that blends mathematics, astronomy, and adventure. It was written during a time of conflict between the Catholic Church and the Copernican Revolution, and Kepler disguised it as a dream to avoid backlash. The story takes place on Levania, a moon-like planet, and explores its unique characteristics and celestial phenomena.
Levania is divided into two hemispheres: Subvolva and Privolva. The Subvolvans always have their Volva (similar to Earth) in their sky, while the Privolvans do not. Levania experiences alternating periods of day and night, with longer days for the Subvolvans and longer nights for the Privolvans. The Subvolvans have a constant presence of their Volva in the sky, which appears four times larger than our Moon. The Volva has different phases and markers that help the Subvolvans measure time and seasons.
Traveling to Levania from Earth is perilous and requires physically fit individuals accustomed to challenging conditions. The journey takes about four hours, but the initial shock can be overwhelming. Travelers must be drugged and protected to prevent injury. Levania has its own poles and its own system of latitude and longitude measurement.
The Privolvans endure extreme cold and darkness during their long nights, while the Subvolvans bask in perpetual daylight. The Subvolvans rely on clouds and storms for relief from the heat. Both hemispheres boast unique flora and fauna, with creatures of enormous sizes. Life on Levania is short-lived due to rapid growth and extreme conditions. The Privolvans are nomadic, following receding waters, while the Subvolvans have more stable settlements near their Volva.
Eclipses also occur on Levania. When the Sun is eclipsed, the Volva eclipses for the Subvolvans, and when the Moon is eclipsed, the Sun eclipses for them. The Subvolvans measure time based on the phases of the Volva, considering it a day and a night. Due to the long days and nights, eclipses are frequent for the Subvolvans.
Kepler's dream abruptly ends when he is awakened by a storm. The story was published in the recording jacket of Fresh Aire V by Mannheim Steam Roller, translated by Reverend Normand Raymond Falardeau, S.S.S. Additional information about the author and copyright guidelines can be found in the document.
444 word summary
"Somnium - A Dream" by Johannes Kepler is a remarkable fantasy that combines mathematics, astronomy, and adventure. It is considered the first science fiction story, written in the form of a dream experienced by Kepler himself and a character named Durocotus. The story was written during a time of conflict between the teachings of the Catholic Church and the Copernican Revolution. Kepler disguised the story as a dream to avoid backlash from the Church. The story takes place on Levania, a moon-like planet, and describes its unique features and celestial phenomena.
Levania is divided into two hemispheres: Subvolva and Privolva. The Subvolvans always see their Volva (equivalent to our Earth) in their sky, while the Privolvans are deprived of this view. Levania experiences alternating periods of day and night, with days being longer for the Subvolvans and nights being longer for the Privolvans. The Subvolvans have a constant presence of their Volva in the sky, which appears four times larger than our Moon. The Volva has different phases and markers that help the Subvolvans measure time and seasons.
The journey to Levania from Earth is dangerous and requires individuals who are physically fit and accustomed to challenging conditions. The travel time is relatively short, taking about four hours, but the initial shock of the journey can be overwhelming for travelers. They must be drugged and protected to prevent injury. Levania has its own poles, distinct from the fixed stars, and its own system of latitude and longitude measurement.
The Privolvan hemisphere experiences extreme cold and darkness during its long nights, while the Subvolvan hemisphere has perpetual daylight due to the presence of the Volva. The Subvolvans rely on clouds and storms for relief from the heat. Both hemispheres have unique flora and fauna, with creatures growing to enormous sizes. Life on Levania is short-lived due to rapid growth and the extreme conditions. The Privolvans are nomadic and follow the receding waters, while the Subvolvans have more stable settlements near their Volva.
The story also mentions the occurrence of eclipses on Levania. When the Sun is eclipsed, the Volva eclipses for the Subvolvans, and when the Moon is eclipsed, the Sun eclipses for them. The Subvolvans have their own way of measuring time based on the phases of the Volva, which they consider a day and a night. The Subvolvans experience frequent eclipses due to the long days and nights.
Kepler's dream ends abruptly when he is awakened by a storm. The story was published in the recording jacket of Fresh Aire V by Mannheim Steam Roller, translated by Reverend Normand Raymond Falardeau, S.S.S. The document includes additional information about the author and copyright guidelines.