# Book about the sun going Super Nova. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-about-the-sun-going-super-nova/648007 "2013-01-22T15:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-about-the-sun-going-super-nova/648007/1 "2013-01-22T15:15:39Z")
I’ve heard about a book where the people on the night side of earth realize the sun has gone super nova (or perhaps starting it’s expansion to a red giant) and they are basically waiting though the night for their turn to get fried. I think they first realize they are up the creek when the moon get’s really, really bright. Anyone remember the name? Was it any good? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-about-the-sun-going-super-nova/648007/2 "2013-01-22T15:35:45Z")
_Inconstant Moon_ by Larry Niven. It is a classic. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-about-the-sun-going-super-nova/648007/3 "2013-01-22T15:51:57Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > _Inconstant Moon_ by Larry Niven. It is a classic. Thank you. Just bought it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-about-the-sun-going-super-nova/648007/4 "2013-01-23T02:19:16Z")
Personally, I think it’s the greatest science fiction short story yet written. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-about-the-sun-going-super-nova/648007/5 "2013-01-23T02:36:47Z")
The sun did not go nova. It was a large solar flare. It’s a short story rather than a novel: > **[Inconstant Moon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inconstant_Moon)** > > Inconstant Moon is a science fiction short story collection by American author Larry Niven that was published in 1973. "Inconstant Moon" is also a 1971 short story that is included in the collection. The title refers to "O, swear not by the moon, th' inconstant moon", a quote from the balcony scene in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The collection was assembled from the US collections The Shape of Space and All the Myriad Ways. > The 1974 Sphere paperback version of the collection only con...