 For years, we have theorized what the moon is, how it got to be where it is, and how it affects life here on Earth. Needless to say, the moon is essential to life here on Earth, right? It is mentioned all throughout history, across every civilization. Why? Because it's there. It has tantalized humankind with intrigue and mystery. Could life have once lived on the moon, and if so, is there structures left behind for us to find? The idea that the moon has always been there is one we take for granted. The Adamant Flat Earth Theorists, for example, would have us believe the moon is a giant hologram, and the Sun is a spotlight. So when we came across an article in The Guardian newspaper suggesting that China are actively developing an artificial moon to launch into orbit for the purposes of replacing streetlights, it fueled the imagination with critical thinking that could have almost sinned the mind into overload. Wait, do you hear this? Ambitious is an understatement, to say the least, but yes, China want to replace streetlights with an artificial moon. It might sound like something dreamt up in a far-fetched Marvel movie, but could it work? And are they for real? It is a great idea, but could there be a hint of sensationalism in this? The idea for this is an old idea, actually. The Scottish mathematician John Napier proposed such a device. In his book, Secret Inventions of 1596, he published details of a giant mirror to burn enemy ships by focusing the Sun's rays on them. In 1929, the German physicist Hermann Oberth further developed plans for a space station from which a 100 meter wide concave mirror could be used to reflect sunlight onto a concentrated point on the Earth. Later, during World War II, a group of German scientists at the German Army Artillery Proving Grounds at Heller's Leven began to expand on Oberth's idea of creating a super weapon that could utilize the Sun's energy. So it seems that these technologies are very real within human consciousness. Perhaps the Chinese are utilizing these previous attempts to launch such technologies in the modern era. A southwestern Chinese city plans to launch an illumination satellite in 2020. According to an account in the People's Daily, the artificial moon is designed to complement the moon at night, though it would be eight times as bright as the moon. The dusk-like glow of the satellite would be able to light an area within a diameter of 65 miles. While the precise illumination range could be controlled within tens of meters, enabling it to replace streetlights. The vision was shared by Wang Chongfeng at a national mass innovation and entrepreneurship event held in Jindu last week. Wu reportedly said testing had begun on the satellite years ago and the technology had now evolved enough to allow for a launch in 2020. It is not clear whether the plans has the backing of the city of Chengdu or the Chinese government, though they are the main contractor for the Chinese space program. The People's Daily report credited the idea to a French artist who imagined hanging a necklace made of mirrors above the earth, which could reflect sunshine through the streets of Paris all year round. The likelihood of Chengdu's fake moon rising remains to be seen, but there are precedents for this moon-age daydream rooted in science, though the technology and ambitions differ. In the 1990s, a team of Russian astronomers and engineers succeeded in launching a satellite into space to deflect sunlight back to earth, briefly illuminating the nighttime hemisphere. The NAMIA experiment was to test the feasibility of illuminating points on earth with light equivalent to that of several full moons. The New York Times said that at the time, that several provide an overstatement, but the design was shown to be sound. A more ambitious attempt, NAMIA 2.5 was made in 1999, prompting pre-emptive concerns about light pollution, disrupting nocturnal animals, and astronomical observation. The People's Daily was quick to reassure those concerned about the fake moon's impact on nighttime wildlife. It cited Kang Wiman, director of the Institute of Optics School of Aerospace, Harbin Institute of Technology, who explained that the lights of the satellite is similar to a dusk-like glow, so it should not affect animals' routines. Strange, right? We thought you might enjoy this piece of Chinese science fiction, whatever truth it may hold. You can let us know below what you are thinking, guys, and we will discuss this further.