“Many scientists have historically believed Earth’s
large moon was generated by a collision between
proto-Earth . . . and a large, Mars-sized impactor . . .
In order to find out whether other planets can form
similarly large moons, [scientists] conducted impact
simulations on the computer . . . ”
—The University of Rochester’s Newscenter
Parents, of course, are smirking at this test.
We need no laboratory simulation
to tell us if a hot collision’s best
for rapid and reliable creation
of something molten that solidifies
and grows so fast our reason can’t absorb it,
that’s soon a body of sufficient size
to show itself and wrap us in its orbit.
Nor do we need a scientist to run
a study seeing if this satellite
has greater claims than we do on the sun—
as much as we pretend our future’s bright,
one certainty inevitably grips us:
our purpose is to help the kid eclipse us.