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The story is set on Mars, imagined as a dying planet with a harsh desert environment. This vision of Mars was based on the work of the astronomer Percival Lowell, whose ideas were widely popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<<<
And wouldn't you know it... a couple of days ago I was reading up on Percival Lowell after wandering around some maps. I had ended up at the Lowell Observatory which is on "Mars Hill".
Always a fan of seemingly unrelated things connecting in the weirdest ways, that's the name of the place of "first light" (sunrise) on America from Mar 25 (Feast of the Annunciation) - Sept 18. Also "First Wind."
"In astronomy, first light is the first use of a telescope (or, in general, a new instrument) to take an astronomical image after it has been constructed."
Interesting. Thanks!