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{{Quote|Day on Acheron was dim twilight, night was darker than the farthest reaches of interstellar space, because not even stars shone through its dense atmosphere to soften the barren surface with twinkling light.|[[Aliens (novel)|''Aliens'' novelization]], chapter 9}}
{{Quote|It's a rock. No indigenous life.|'''[[ECA representative]]''' regarding LV-426 (from {{A2}})}}{{Moon
 
  +
{{Moon
 
|image = [[File:LV-426 terrain.png|300px]]
 
|image = [[File:LV-426 terrain.png|300px]]
 
|name = Acheron (LV-426)
 
|name = Acheron (LV-426)
 
|Diameter = 12,201 km
 
|Diameter = 12,201 km
βˆ’
|Species = [[Humans]] (formerly)
+
|Species = [[Human]] (formerly)<br>{{Xeno}}
 
|Points of interest = *[[Derelict Ship]]
 
|Points of interest = *[[Derelict Ship]]
 
*[[Hadley's Hope]]
 
*[[Hadley's Hope]]
 
*Ilyium Range
 
*Ilyium Range
βˆ’
}}'''Acheron''', formal designation '''LV-426''', is one of three known moons orbiting [[Calpamos]], which is located in the [[Zeta Reticuli|Zeta II Reticuli]] system, 39 light years away from [[Earth]]. The moon was given its common name by the early [[human]] colonists who settled there. The main colonist base, [[Hadley's Hope]], housed about 158 people. <ref name="Origins">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]]|title=Origins of Acheron|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=2003}}</ref>
+
}}'''Acheron''',<ref name="Aliensbook36">{{cite book|title=[[Aliens (novel)|Aliens novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1986|page=36}}</ref> formal designation '''LV-426''', is one of three known moons orbiting [[Calpamos]], which is located in the [[Zeta Reticuli|Zeta<sup>2</sup> Reticuli]] system, 39 light years away from [[Earth]]. The moon was given its common name by the early [[human]] colonists who settled there. The main colonist base, [[Hadley's Hope]], housed 158 people.<ref name="A2DC">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]] (writer and director)|title='{{A2}}' [[Aliens Special Edition|Special Edition]]|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1992}}</ref>
   
 
==Terrain and Climate==
 
==Terrain and Climate==
βˆ’
[[File:LV-426.png|thumb|250px|LV-426 seen from orbit.]]
+
[[File:LV-426.png|thumb|LV-426 seen from orbit.]]
βˆ’
Acheron has an equatorial diameter of 12,201 km diameter and maintains a gravitational field equivalent to 0.86 of that on Earth.<ref name="CMTM137">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=137}}</ref> The moon's crust is made up of aluminum silicates, although there is evidence of magnesium silicate intrusion, manifested on the surface as basalt, rhyolite and microgranite lava flows.<ref name="CMTM137"/> Despite this evidence of past volcanic activity, as well as ongoing volcanic processes in the moon's core, the surface currently exhibits no discernible volcanism or tectonic activity. The moon's geological structure has led to the conclusion it is a recently captured body, entering Calpamos' orbit within the last 40 million years or so.<ref name="CMTM137"/> Indeed, the rings around Calpamos itself are thought to be the remnants of a previous satellite that was broken apart by the gravitational shift induced by Acheron's arrival.<ref name="CMTM137"/>
+
Acheron has an equatorial diameter of 12,201 km and maintains a gravitational field equivalent to 0.86 of that on Earth.<ref name="CMTM137">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=137}}</ref> The moon's crust is made up of aluminum silicates, although there is evidence of magnesium silicate intrusion, manifested on the surface as basalt, rhyolite and microgranite lava flows.<ref name="Alienbook41">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=41}}</ref><ref name="CMTM137"/> Despite this evidence of past volcanic activity, as well as ongoing volcanic processes in the moon's core, the surface currently exhibits no discernible volcanism or tectonic activity. The moon's geological structure has led to the conclusion it is a recently captured body, entering Calpamos' orbit within the last 40 million years or so.<ref name="CMTM137" /> Indeed, the rings around Calpamos itself are thought to be the remnants of a previous satellite that was broken apart by the gravitational shift induced by Acheron's arrival.<ref name="CMTM137" />
   
βˆ’
The planetoid's indigenous atmosphere was described as "primordial", consisting mainly of nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, trace particles of oxygen and small concentrations of methane and ammonia.<ref name="CMTM137"/> It is constantly racked by strong winds, although the moon is too small for potentially dangerous very large storms to form.<ref name="Alienbook37">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=37}}</ref> Needless to say, LV-426 under native conditions was inhospitable to human life.
+
The planetoid's indigenous atmosphere was described as "primordial", consisting mainly of nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, trace particles of oxygen and small concentrations of methane and ammonia.<ref name="CMTM137" /> It is constantly racked by strong winds, although the moon is too small for potentially dangerous very large storms to form.<ref name="Alienbook53">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=53}}</ref> Needless to say, LV-426 under native conditions was inhospitable to human life.
   
 
===Geographical features===
 
===Geographical features===
βˆ’
The Ilyium Range is a mountain range on the Acheron moon, located near to where the {{USCSS|Nostromo}} discovered an [[Derelict Ship|abandoned alien vessel]] in [[2122]].<ref name="CMTM144">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=144}}</ref>
+
The Ilium Range is a mountain range on the Acheron moon, located near to where the {{USCSS|Nostromo}} discovered an [[Derelict Ship|abandoned alien vessel]] in [[2122]].<ref name="CMTM144">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=144}}</ref>
   
 
==Species==
 
==Species==
 
{{Quote|It's a rock. No indigenous life.|'''[[ECA representative]]''' regarding LV-426 (from {{A2}})}}
βˆ’
Acheron has no indigenous life forms, and it is not the [[Xenomorph (Alien)|Xenomorph]] homeworld; it was simply a planet upon which an [[Engineer]] ship, containing [[Ovomorph (Egg)|Xenomorph Eggs]] and possibly live subjects as well, crash-landed. According to [[Weyland-Yutani]] surveys, Acheron was simply a dead rock.
+
Acheron has no indigenous life forms, and it is not the {{Xeno}} homeworld; it was simply a planet upon which an [[Engineer]] ship, containing [[Ovomorph (Egg)|Xenomorph Eggs]] and possibly live subjects as well, crash-landed. According to [[Weyland-Yutani]] surveys, Acheron was simply a dead rock.
   
 
==Establishments==
 
==Establishments==
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==History==
 
==History==
  +
===Early human interaction===
LV-426 was first detected by [[Weyland Corp]] astronomers on May 14, 2039.<ref name="WC Timeline">{{cite web|title=Weyland Industries - Corporate Timeline|url=http://www.weylandindustries.com/timeline|accessdate=2013-06-07}}</ref> The moon was subsequently catalogued by a French deep-space probe.<ref name=CMTM137/> The first comprehensive survey was not carried out until the 2130s, after the {{USCSS|Nostromo}} set down on the moon in [[2122]].<ref name="CMTM137"/>
 
  +
[[File:Nostromo_above_LV-426.png|thumb|The ''Nostromo'' above LV-426.]]
 
LV-426 was first detected by [[Weyland Corp]] astronomers on May 14, 2039.<ref name="WC Timeline">{{cite web|title=Weyland Industries - Corporate Timeline|url=http://www.weylandindustries.com/timeline|accessdate=2013-06-07}}</ref> The moon was subsequently catalogued by a French deep-space probe.<ref name="CMTM137" /> The first comprehensive survey was not carried out until the 2130s, after the {{USCSS|Nostromo}} set down on the moon in [[2122]].<ref name="CMTM137" />
   
βˆ’
The ''Nostromo'' touched down on LV-426 in response to a mysterious signal emanating from the planetoid, per standard Weyland-Yutani protocol. In reality, the signal had previously been detected and decoded by Weyland-Yutani, and the ''Nostromo'' had been pre-selected to investigate, with the [[Synthetic|android]] [[Ash]] surreptitiously placed aboard to ensure the safety of any lifeforms that were discovered. Though the ''Nostromo'' was severely damaged while landing on LV-426, a three-man exploration team, consisting of Captain [[Dallas Arthur|Dallas]], First Officer [[Gilbert Kane|Kane]] and navigator [[Joan Lambert|Lambert]], proceeded to explore the planetoid's surface and eventually discovered a [[Derelict Ship|Derelict spacecraft]] that was responsible for transmitting the signal. While exploring the Derelict's interior, the crew came across the fossilized remains of the [[Engineer]] [[The Pilot|pilot]] and thousands of [[Ovomorph (Egg)|Xenomorph Eggs]] stored within the ship's cargo hull. Kane was subsequently impregnated by a [[Facehugger]] and was taken back to the ''Nostromo'' for treatment. The ''Nostromo'' departed soon afterwards, but the Xenomorph implanted in Kane's chest later [[Chestburster|birthed]] in space, leading to the ''Nostromo'''s destruction.
+
The ''Nostromo'' touched down on LV-426 allegedly in response to a mysterious signal emanating from the planetoid, per standard Weyland-Yutani protocol. In reality, the signal had previously been detected and decoded by Weyland-Yutani,<ref name="Alienbook261">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=261}}</ref> and the ''Nostromo'' had been pre-selected to investigate, with the [[Synthetic|android]] [[Ash]] surreptitiously placed aboard to ensure the safety of any lifeforms that were discovered. Though the ''Nostromo'' was severely damaged while landing on LV-426, a three-man exploration team, consisting of Captain [[Dallas Arthur|Dallas]], First Officer [[Gilbert Kane|Kane]] and navigator [[Joan Lambert|Lambert]], proceeded to explore the planetoid's surface and eventually discovered a [[Derelict Ship|Derelict spacecraft]] that was responsible for transmitting the signal. While exploring the Derelict's interior, the crew came across the fossilized remains of the [[Engineer]] [[The Pilot|pilot]] and thousands of [[Ovomorph (Egg)|Xenomorph Eggs]] stored within the ship's cargo hull. Kane was subsequently impregnated by a [[Facehugger]] and was taken back to the ''Nostromo'' for treatment. The ''Nostromo'' departed soon afterwards, but the Xenomorph implanted in Kane's chest later [[Chestburster|birthed]] in space, leading to the ''<nowiki>Nostromo'</nowiki>''s destruction.
   
 
===Colonization===
 
===Colonization===
βˆ’
Following the loss of the ''Nostromo'', the incident was covered up by the Weyland-Yutani personnel involved.<ref name="CMTM143">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=143}}</ref> This, coupled with the fact the Derelict was later damaged by volcanic activity that caused its emergency beacon to go offline,<ref name="W-Y archives">{{cite web|title=Weyland-Yutani Archives - James Cameron's Responses To Aliens Critics|url=http://weyland-yutaniarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/james-camerons-responses-to-aliens.html|accessdate=2013-07-01}}</ref> meant that in time LV-426 passed back into obscurity. Approximately thirty-seven years after the USCSS ''Nostromo'' set down on the moon, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation established the terraforming colony of Hadley's Hope there, constructing an [[Atmosphere Processor]] to make the planetoid's atmosphere breathable. The early colonists christened the moon Acheron.
+
Following the loss of the ''Nostromo'', the incident was covered up by the Weyland-Yutani personnel involved.<ref name="CMTM143">{{cite book|title=''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]''|author=Lee Brimmicombe-Wood|publisher=HarperPrism|year=1996|page=143}}</ref> This, coupled with the fact the Derelict was later damaged by volcanic activity that caused its emergency beacon to go offline,<ref name="W-Y archives">{{cite web|title=Weyland-Yutani Archives - James Cameron's Responses To Aliens Critics|url=http://weyland-yutaniarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/james-camerons-responses-to-aliens.html|accessdate=2013-07-01}}</ref> meant that, in time, LV-426 passed back into obscurity. Approximately thirty-seven years after the USCSS ''Nostromo'' set down on the moon, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation established the terraforming colony of Hadley's Hope there, constructing an [[Atmosphere Processor]] to make the planetoid's atmosphere breathable. The early colonists christened the moon Acheron.<ref name="Aliensbook36"/>
   
βˆ’
Another twenty years later, [[Russ Jorden|Russ]] and [[Anne Jorden]], residents of the Hadley's Hope colony, were sent to investigate the Derelict on company orders, its location deduced from the testimony of [[Ellen Ripley]], the only survivor of the ''Nostromo'' who had just been rescued from deep space. Russ was subsequently impregnated by a [[Facehugger]] during his investigation of the ship, sparking a full-scale outbreak at the colony. A [[First Acheron Queen|Queen]] established a [[Hive]] in the colony's Atmosphere Processor, and the Xenomorphs killed or captured, cocooned and impregnated all but one of the colonists, [[Rebecca "Newt" Jorden|Rebecca Jorden]], daughter of Russ and Anne.
+
Despite this human habitation, the colonists remained unaware of the Derelict due to a combination of the moon's thick, debris-laden atmosphere shielding it from both visual and satellite detection, and the Ilium mountain range blocking it from the colony's ground scanners.<ref name="Aliensbook50">{{cite book|title=[[Aliens (novel)|Aliens novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1986|page=50}}</ref> It wasn't for another twenty years that [[Russ Jorden|Russ]] and [[Anne Jorden]], residents of the Hadley's Hope colony, were sent to investigate the Derelict on company orders, after its location was deduced from the testimony of [[Ellen Ripley]], the only survivor of the ''Nostromo'', who had just been rescued from deep space. Russ was subsequently impregnated by a [[Facehugger]] during his investigation of the ship, sparking a full-scale outbreak at the colony. A [[First Acheron Queen|Queen]] established a [[Hive]] in the colony's Atmosphere Processor, and the Xenomorphs killed or captured, cocooned and impregnated all but one of the colonists, [[Rebecca "Newt" Jorden|Rebecca Jorden]], daughter of Russ and Anne.
   
 
A short while after this, a unit of [[United States Colonial Marine Corps|Colonial Marines]] was dispatched aboard the {{USS|Sulaco}} to investigate the loss of contact with the colony, accompanied by Ellen Ripley. After several battles with the Xenomorphs the resulted in the deaths of most of the Marines, the creatures' Hive was destroyed when the Atmosphere Processor's reactor exploded. Only Ripley, Rebecca Jorden, Corporal [[Dwayne Hicks]] and the android [[Lance Bishop|Bishop]] escaped. Unknown to them, the Hadley's Hope Queen had stowed away on board the ''Sulaco'', but was subsequently ejected into space by Ripley through an airlock.
 
A short while after this, a unit of [[United States Colonial Marine Corps|Colonial Marines]] was dispatched aboard the {{USS|Sulaco}} to investigate the loss of contact with the colony, accompanied by Ellen Ripley. After several battles with the Xenomorphs the resulted in the deaths of most of the Marines, the creatures' Hive was destroyed when the Atmosphere Processor's reactor exploded. Only Ripley, Rebecca Jorden, Corporal [[Dwayne Hicks]] and the android [[Lance Bishop|Bishop]] escaped. Unknown to them, the Hadley's Hope Queen had stowed away on board the ''Sulaco'', but was subsequently ejected into space by Ripley through an airlock.
   
  +
===Exploration by Weyland-Yutani===
 
Despite the explosion on the planet, several Xenomorphs had survived in the ruins of Hadley's Hope, and a [[Second Acheron Queen|second Queen]] soon emerged. The Queen and her brood were discovered by a Weyland-Yutani team led by [[Michael Weyland]], which had set up the [[Origin Facility]] around the Derelict to study the Xenomorphs. A second group of Marines, hailing from the {{USS|Sephora}}, subsequently landed on LV-426 and engaged both the Weyland-Yutani forces and the Aliens. The research facility was overrun, although several personnel, including all the surviving Colonial Marines, managed to escape aboard a Weyland-Yutani starship.
 
Despite the explosion on the planet, several Xenomorphs had survived in the ruins of Hadley's Hope, and a [[Second Acheron Queen|second Queen]] soon emerged. The Queen and her brood were discovered by a Weyland-Yutani team led by [[Michael Weyland]], which had set up the [[Origin Facility]] around the Derelict to study the Xenomorphs. A second group of Marines, hailing from the {{USS|Sephora}}, subsequently landed on LV-426 and engaged both the Weyland-Yutani forces and the Aliens. The research facility was overrun, although several personnel, including all the surviving Colonial Marines, managed to escape aboard a Weyland-Yutani starship.
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
===Name===
 
===Name===
βˆ’
In {{A1}}, LV-426 is not named and is simply referred to as a "planetoid" or "ball". In {{A2}}, the name LV-426 is given at the inquest aboard [[Gateway Station]] and subsequently throughout the film. The [[Aliens (novel)|novelization]] of the film additionally states that the moon is also known as Acheron. Director [[James Cameron]] also gives the name Acheron in a behind the scenes interview on the production of ''Aliens'', where he points out that it is taken from Dante's ''Inferno'', where Acheron is a river in Hell, shrouded in fog and beset by constant lightning storms. Cameron suggests that the planet may have earned the name from an early colonist with a literary interest and a sense of irony.<ref name="Origins"/> On the timeline of the official viral website for [[Weyland Corp]], as part of the promotion for the film {{Pro}}, the planet's name appears as officially Acheron LV-426, bringing both names together. The planet was originally going to appear in ''Prometheus'', but ultimately the planet [[LV-223]] was used instead.
+
In {{A1}}, LV-426 is not named and is simply referred to as a "planetoid" or "ball". In {{A2}}, the name LV-426 is given at the inquest aboard [[Gateway Station]] and subsequently throughout the film. The [[Aliens (novel)|novelization]] of the film additionally states that the moon is also known as Acheron.<ref name="Aliensbook36"/> Director [[James Cameron]] also gives the name Acheron in a behind the scenes interview on the production of ''Aliens'', where he points out that it is taken from Dante's ''Inferno'', where Acheron is a river in Hell, shrouded in fog and beset by constant lightning storms. Cameron suggests that the planet may have earned the name from an early colonist with a literary interest and a sense of irony.<ref name="Origins">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]]|title=Origins of Acheron|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=2010}}</ref> On the timeline of the official viral website for [[Weyland Corp]], as part of the promotion for the film {{Pro}}, the planet's name appears as officially Acheron LV-426, bringing both names together. The planet was originally going to appear in ''Prometheus'', but ultimately the planet [[LV-223]] was used instead.
   
 
The name Acheron is reused in the [[Alien 3 (novel)|novelization]] of {{A3}}, although it was repeatedly misspelled as "Archeron" in early editions. LV-426 is mentioned again in the musings of Dr. [[Mason Wren]] in the [[Alien Resurrection (novel)|novelization]] of {{A4}}, in which the researcher reflects that the loss of the [[Derelict Ship|Derelict]] was a great setback. Unlike earlier novels, the planet is once more referred to as LV-426. While never overtly stated in any source, it seems likely that LV-426 is the moon's technical designation, while Acheron is a more common name.
 
The name Acheron is reused in the [[Alien 3 (novel)|novelization]] of {{A3}}, although it was repeatedly misspelled as "Archeron" in early editions. LV-426 is mentioned again in the musings of Dr. [[Mason Wren]] in the [[Alien Resurrection (novel)|novelization]] of {{A4}}, in which the researcher reflects that the loss of the [[Derelict Ship|Derelict]] was a great setback. Unlike earlier novels, the planet is once more referred to as LV-426. While never overtly stated in any source, it seems likely that LV-426 is the moon's technical designation, while Acheron is a more common name.
   
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
βˆ’
*In {{A1}}, the film's original screenplay and its accompanying [[Alien (novel)|novelization]], LV-426's diameter is said to be only 1,200 km.<ref name="Alienbook46">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=46}}</ref> For a planetoid so small to have a surface gravity of 0.86 G, it would have to be infeasibly dense, and its surface would also be visibly curved when standing on it (which it clearly is not in the film). The ''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual|Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]'' later changed the moon's size to a more realistic 12,201 km diameter.
+
*In {{A1}}, the film's original screenplay and its accompanying [[Alien (novel)|novelization]], LV-426's diameter is said to be only 1,200 km.<ref name="Alienbook34">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=34}}</ref> For a planetoid so small to have a surface gravity of 0.86 G, it would have to be infeasibly dense, and its surface would also be visibly curved when standing on it (which it clearly is not in the film). The ''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual|Colonial Marines Technical Manual]]'' later changed the moon's size to a more realistic 12,201 km diameter.
 
*A planet called "LV426" appears in the video game ''Mass Effect: Infiltrator'' as a reference to the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]]. The original ''Mass Effect'' also featured a star system named Acheron.
 
*A planet called "LV426" appears in the video game ''Mass Effect: Infiltrator'' as a reference to the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]]. The original ''Mass Effect'' also featured a star system named Acheron.
   
Line 61: Line 66:
 
*{{AVP2010}} (video game, mentioned only)
 
*{{AVP2010}} (video game, mentioned only)
 
*{{ACM}}/{{ACMSI}} (video game)
 
*{{ACM}}/{{ACMSI}} (video game)
  +
*''[[Alien: Sea of Sorrows]]'' (mentioned only)
   
 
===Upcoming===
 
===Upcoming===
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==References==
 
==References==
βˆ’
<references/>
+
<references />
 
[[Category:Locations]]
 
[[Category:Locations]]
 
[[Category:Video Game locations]]
 
[[Category:Video Game locations]]

Revision as of 10:44, 20 September 2014

"Day on Acheron was dim twilight, night was darker than the farthest reaches of interstellar space, because not even stars shone through its dense atmosphere to soften the barren surface with twinkling light."
Aliens novelization, chapter 9

Acheron,[1] formal designation LV-426, is one of three known moons orbiting Calpamos, which is located in the Zeta2 Reticuli system, 39 light years away from Earth. The moon was given its common name by the early human colonists who settled there. The main colonist base, Hadley's Hope, housed 158 people.[2]

Terrain and Climate

LV-426

LV-426 seen from orbit.

Acheron has an equatorial diameter of 12,201 km and maintains a gravitational field equivalent to 0.86 of that on Earth.[3] The moon's crust is made up of aluminum silicates, although there is evidence of magnesium silicate intrusion, manifested on the surface as basalt, rhyolite and microgranite lava flows.[4][3] Despite this evidence of past volcanic activity, as well as ongoing volcanic processes in the moon's core, the surface currently exhibits no discernible volcanism or tectonic activity. The moon's geological structure has led to the conclusion it is a recently captured body, entering Calpamos' orbit within the last 40 million years or so.[3] Indeed, the rings around Calpamos itself are thought to be the remnants of a previous satellite that was broken apart by the gravitational shift induced by Acheron's arrival.[3]

The planetoid's indigenous atmosphere was described as "primordial", consisting mainly of nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, trace particles of oxygen and small concentrations of methane and ammonia.[3] It is constantly racked by strong winds, although the moon is too small for potentially dangerous very large storms to form.[5] Needless to say, LV-426 under native conditions was inhospitable to human life.

Geographical features

The Ilium Range is a mountain range on the Acheron moon, located near to where the USCSS Nostromo discovered an abandoned alien vessel in 2122.[6]

Species

"It's a rock. No indigenous life."
ECA representative regarding LV-426 (from Aliens)

Acheron has no indigenous life forms, and it is not the Xenomorph homeworld; it was simply a planet upon which an Engineer ship, containing Xenomorph Eggs and possibly live subjects as well, crash-landed. According to Weyland-Yutani surveys, Acheron was simply a dead rock.

Establishments

Acheron is best known for the terraforming colony of Hadley's Hope, established on the moon in the mid-22nd century for the purpose of processing the planetoid's atmosphere to create a suitable environment for large-scale human habitation.

History

Early human interaction

Nostromo above LV-426

The Nostromo above LV-426.

LV-426 was first detected by Weyland Corp astronomers on May 14, 2039.[7] The moon was subsequently catalogued by a French deep-space probe.[3] The first comprehensive survey was not carried out until the 2130s, after the USCSS Nostromo set down on the moon in 2122.[3]

The Nostromo touched down on LV-426 allegedly in response to a mysterious signal emanating from the planetoid, per standard Weyland-Yutani protocol. In reality, the signal had previously been detected and decoded by Weyland-Yutani,[8] and the Nostromo had been pre-selected to investigate, with the android Ash surreptitiously placed aboard to ensure the safety of any lifeforms that were discovered. Though the Nostromo was severely damaged while landing on LV-426, a three-man exploration team, consisting of Captain Dallas, First Officer Kane and navigator Lambert, proceeded to explore the planetoid's surface and eventually discovered a Derelict spacecraft that was responsible for transmitting the signal. While exploring the Derelict's interior, the crew came across the fossilized remains of the Engineer pilot and thousands of Xenomorph Eggs stored within the ship's cargo hull. Kane was subsequently impregnated by a Facehugger and was taken back to the Nostromo for treatment. The Nostromo departed soon afterwards, but the Xenomorph implanted in Kane's chest later birthed in space, leading to the Nostromo's destruction.

Colonization

Following the loss of the Nostromo, the incident was covered up by the Weyland-Yutani personnel involved.[9] This, coupled with the fact the Derelict was later damaged by volcanic activity that caused its emergency beacon to go offline,[10] meant that, in time, LV-426 passed back into obscurity. Approximately thirty-seven years after the USCSS Nostromo set down on the moon, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation established the terraforming colony of Hadley's Hope there, constructing an Atmosphere Processor to make the planetoid's atmosphere breathable. The early colonists christened the moon Acheron.[1]

Despite this human habitation, the colonists remained unaware of the Derelict due to a combination of the moon's thick, debris-laden atmosphere shielding it from both visual and satellite detection, and the Ilium mountain range blocking it from the colony's ground scanners.[11] It wasn't for another twenty years that Russ and Anne Jorden, residents of the Hadley's Hope colony, were sent to investigate the Derelict on company orders, after its location was deduced from the testimony of Ellen Ripley, the only survivor of the Nostromo, who had just been rescued from deep space. Russ was subsequently impregnated by a Facehugger during his investigation of the ship, sparking a full-scale outbreak at the colony. A Queen established a Hive in the colony's Atmosphere Processor, and the Xenomorphs killed or captured, cocooned and impregnated all but one of the colonists, Rebecca Jorden, daughter of Russ and Anne.

A short while after this, a unit of Colonial Marines was dispatched aboard the USS Sulaco to investigate the loss of contact with the colony, accompanied by Ellen Ripley. After several battles with the Xenomorphs the resulted in the deaths of most of the Marines, the creatures' Hive was destroyed when the Atmosphere Processor's reactor exploded. Only Ripley, Rebecca Jorden, Corporal Dwayne Hicks and the android Bishop escaped. Unknown to them, the Hadley's Hope Queen had stowed away on board the Sulaco, but was subsequently ejected into space by Ripley through an airlock.

Exploration by Weyland-Yutani

Despite the explosion on the planet, several Xenomorphs had survived in the ruins of Hadley's Hope, and a second Queen soon emerged. The Queen and her brood were discovered by a Weyland-Yutani team led by Michael Weyland, which had set up the Origin Facility around the Derelict to study the Xenomorphs. A second group of Marines, hailing from the USS Sephora, subsequently landed on LV-426 and engaged both the Weyland-Yutani forces and the Aliens. The research facility was overrun, although several personnel, including all the surviving Colonial Marines, managed to escape aboard a Weyland-Yutani starship.

Behind the scenes

Name

In Alien, LV-426 is not named and is simply referred to as a "planetoid" or "ball". In Aliens, the name LV-426 is given at the inquest aboard Gateway Station and subsequently throughout the film. The novelization of the film additionally states that the moon is also known as Acheron.[1] Director James Cameron also gives the name Acheron in a behind the scenes interview on the production of Aliens, where he points out that it is taken from Dante's Inferno, where Acheron is a river in Hell, shrouded in fog and beset by constant lightning storms. Cameron suggests that the planet may have earned the name from an early colonist with a literary interest and a sense of irony.[12] On the timeline of the official viral website for Weyland Corp, as part of the promotion for the film {{{1}}} , the planet's name appears as officially Acheron LV-426, bringing both names together. The planet was originally going to appear in Prometheus, but ultimately the planet LV-223 was used instead.

The name Acheron is reused in the novelization of Alien3, although it was repeatedly misspelled as "Archeron" in early editions. LV-426 is mentioned again in the musings of Dr. Mason Wren in the novelization of Alien Resurrection, in which the researcher reflects that the loss of the Derelict was a great setback. Unlike earlier novels, the planet is once more referred to as LV-426. While never overtly stated in any source, it seems likely that LV-426 is the moon's technical designation, while Acheron is a more common name.

Trivia

  • In Alien, the film's original screenplay and its accompanying novelization, LV-426's diameter is said to be only 1,200 km.[13] For a planetoid so small to have a surface gravity of 0.86 G, it would have to be infeasibly dense, and its surface would also be visibly curved when standing on it (which it clearly is not in the film). The Colonial Marines Technical Manual later changed the moon's size to a more realistic 12,201 km diameter.
  • A planet called "LV426" appears in the video game Mass Effect: Infiltrator as a reference to the Alien franchise. The original Mass Effect also featured a star system named Acheron.

Appearances

Upcoming

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Alan Dean Foster. Aliens novelization, p. 36 (1986), Warner Books, Inc..
  2. ↑ James Cameron (writer and director). Aliens Special Edition (1992), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. 'Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual', p. 137 (1996), HarperPrism.
  4. ↑ Alan Dean Foster. Alien novelization, p. 41 (1979), Warner Books, Inc..
  5. ↑ Alan Dean Foster. Alien novelization, p. 53 (1979), Warner Books, Inc..
  6. ↑ Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. 'Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual', p. 144 (1996), HarperPrism.
  7. ↑ "Weyland Industries - Corporate Timeline". Retrieved on 2013-06-07.
  8. ↑ Alan Dean Foster. Alien novelization, p. 261 (1979), Warner Books, Inc..
  9. ↑ Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. 'Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual', p. 143 (1996), HarperPrism.
  10. ↑ "Weyland-Yutani Archives - James Cameron's Responses To Aliens Critics". Retrieved on 2013-07-01.
  11. ↑ Alan Dean Foster. Aliens novelization, p. 50 (1986), Warner Books, Inc..
  12. ↑ James CameronOrigins of Acheron (2010), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  13. ↑ Alan Dean Foster. Alien novelization, p. 34 (1979), Warner Books, Inc..