As residents walk along the Recovery Pathway in front of Cloud Nine Studios, they pass by a 12-foot steel sculpture that frames a giant mosaic of highly reflective dichroic art glass and is suspended 20-feet from the ground. Between its size, position, and composition, it practically forces passersby to look at it.
This is The Lunar Beacon, or, more accurately, a large Lunar Beacon™ Brand sensory landmark that comes in the form of a large wall sculpture entitled “The Lunar Beacon.” This is because this is not so much an art piece as it is a functional device disguised as an art piece.
While visually pleasing to humans, this device has been specially designed to be highly visible to cats.
First, whereas human eyes see red, green, and blue light, cat eyes only detect green and blue. Since The Lunar Beacon is made of green and blue glass, it will appear as a brightly colored object, standing out from all others which appear relatively colorless.
The uneven angles and textures of the mosaic pieces cause light to reflect wildly differently with even small positional changes, which simulates movement, which cats’ eyes are built to detect, especially in low-light conditions.
Furthermore, this is dichroic glass, which is so reflective that it appears illuminated to humans with just a small amount of moonlight. This means that to a cat, which has about 6–8 times better night vision, this incredibly bright, colorful, shimmering shape will be highly visible at night tp cats from a long distance away, and may even be the only object visible in the distance, since cat eyes are not built for long-range sight.
This high visibility becomes useful in the event that a cat ever accidentally escapes from their home and becomes lost. Cats instinctively climb to great heights and use their wide field of vision to survey their surroundings, If The Lunar Beacon is anywhere within their line of sight, the cats will see it, and it can help guide them home.
Any cats living at Cloud Nine Studios should recognize The Lunar Beacon as soon as they see it, because inside each apartment are three Lunar Beacon sensory landmarks, made of the same material and in the same shape, just tiny and mounted in the spaces built specifically for cats: the cat loft, litter closet, and bowl basin.
Residents can choose to wear even smaller Lunar Beacon rings, earrings, pendants, or charms to further deepen the associations between the appearance of the Lunar Beacon sensory landmarks and their concept of home.
three tiny Lunar Beacons in their own home that are mounted in the spaces built specifically for cats: the cat loft, litter closet, and bowl basin, which, in turn, reminds them that they live in a place built to take care of not just themselves, but also their loved ones.
The mosaic is made of blue and green glass,
dichroic glass, which is highly reflective
of blue and green
While everything up until this point will affect any who walk the path, even visitors, all residents will know—because it is explained during orientation—that the Lunar Beacon is not just a piece of art, but a functional device that is designed to reunite families that have been torn apart by tragedy, symbolically linking people to lost loved ones via reflected moonlight and eventually helping to guide them back home. The knowledge that a piece created with such intentions and value for life is a permanent part of their home can have a halo effect that makes them feel better about where they live.
For residents with cats, the Beacon may elicit even deeper reactions. It may remind them of the three tiny Lunar Beacons in their own home that are mounted in the spaces built specifically for cats: the cat loft, litter closet, and bowl basin, which, in turn, reminds them that they live in a place built to take care of not just themselves, but also their loved ones.
Thinking about the practical function of the Beacon can also make people feel more seen, appreciated, and connected, because while they may love their pet, it can feel lonely and isolating if they feel they are the only one who cares, especially if others in their life do not love animals like they do. However, the Beacon is overwhelming evidence that at least one person out in the world respects and values their relationship with their pet—even if he hasn't even met the animal—so much so that he built an absurdly large contraption just in case it might help them find their way back should they ever get lost.
While a wide variety of thoughts can be elicited by the Beacon, most often, we suspect, looking at will simply make residents think of their cats and how they will see them in just a few moments, a simple but powerful mood elevator that comes with a large dose of oxytocin and is difficult to top.
Note: LUNAR BEACON is a registered trademark of Foster Love, Inc. Used with permission.