Official Moon (Primary Source Acquired!) · 7:19pm Jan 11th, 2018
Because of Granny Smith of the Apple Family, we now know that the Ponyville Snail can hibernate for up to 48 moons. This was in the episode Pinkie Apple Pie, from Season 4.
Assuming that the Ponyville Snail is similar enough biologically to the North American Land Snail (and, judging by Snails Cutie Mark, they are), the maximum hibernation period would be six Terran months. Therefore, we can conclude that 48 Equestrian moons is 6 Terran months (specifically, October through April).
To further refine our formula, if we assume there is a rough average of 30 Terran sols to the Terran month, we can conclude that 1 Equestrian moon is 3.75 Terran sols, or 3 Terran sols and 16 Terran hours.
Therefore, the Crystal Mirror opens the portal for three Equestrian days and nights, once every 112.5 Terran sols, or 30 Equestrian moons.
Alternatively, the said snail has a range of 4-6 months, so it could well be a range of values. For the sake of simplicity, I'll do all the same calculations here for 4.
For a similar purpose, let us assume that the average is 30 sols a month, which leaves us with 120 sols. Divide that by 48 Equestrian Moons, and we have a conversion rate of 2.5 Terran sols to the Equestrian Moon.
The means that the Ponyville Snail likely hibernates for 120 Terran sols, and the Mirror Portal opens for three Equestrian Days and Nights, every 75 Terran sols.
So, to recap, the hibernation of Ponyville Snail is likely between 120 and 180 Terran days, with the EqG Mirror Portal opening once every 75 to 112.5 Terran sols, and an Equestrian moon converts between 2.5 to 3.75 Terran sols.
Unless the snails in Ponyville, Equestria hibernate for much longer and that sensational amount of time was the point of Granny Smith's line. Equestria has Chupacabra, Manticores, Vampiric Jackalopes, animals made out of magical mist and wood or even rocks and animate plants. The flora and fauna is kind of all over the place over there. If find a snail that can hibernate for a long time makes a lot more sense than the show writers deciding that Equestrian days aren't one-to-one with our own.
4860689
I don't believe that neither I nor Granny Smith ever mentioned an Equestrian Day for these equations, but I thank you for the response, regardless of its irrelevance to the topic at hoof.
4860689
In regards to the initial postulation, that is a possibility, even if it's, currently, just a theory at this stage, while mine is a fairly substantial scientific endeavor, with hard evidence backing it up.
4860689
In response to the list of creatures, I'd have to ask for a canon example for some of those you've entered.
4860847
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic issue #3 features the Chupacabra, Vampiric Jackalopes, and pony-eating flowers. Everything else I mentioned is in the show itself. While I can respect doing math to get some details about something fictional, I must point out when assumptions are being made that don't provide concrete data. My headcanon will only conform to calculations made with sound starting figures.
Also, please only reply with a single, large comment, or edit in things you wished to add between responses. 'Tis more orderly that way.
4861147
Would you care to specify, beyond the indeterminables of any pony system of temporal measurements (which weren't used in determining the maths, barring use of the principle of equivalence for determining the conversion of Earth, or Terran in Astrophysics, days and Equusian Moons: the actual point of this endeavor).
While researching the only appearance of a snail (Snails cutie mark, if you were curious) in Friendship is Magic, the show, I studied its observable physiology, in order to determine its Terran equivalent; this happened to be the Pacific Northern Land Snail. Since Snails is a Ponyville native and resident, it would be reasonable to assume that his primary interactions with the animals would be those native to the region, the Ponyville Snail.
Following this line of logic, it is reasonable to conclude, with use of Occum's Razor that this is the very snail Granny Smith referred to in the episode, Pinkie Apple Pie. Furthermore seeing as the physiology is (mostly) identical in every way that matters (being that it is a snail, and all snails hibernate for a similar amount of time, regardless; I just wanted to be as thorough as I could for this), it would appear that my math for a maximum holds up.
Would like me to include the minimum, so that there is a range to determine the mean?
4861160
My stipulation is that your logic hinging on observing the two sorts of snails to be analogous enough to then assume they have the same hibernation period is flawed, because repeatedly we are shown that even similarly mundane animals in Equestria behave very differently from those in our own world. They are capable of complex thoughts, speak in distinct languages that Fluttershy can understand, and cooperate with ponies tending to the weather. In the magical land of Equestria, we can't assume snails that look similar to snails from our world are like snails from our world in other ways.
To clarify on the matter of Equestria Girls since that could get confusing, that human world is similar to but not quite the same as our own world, as animals have a similar intelligence there as compared to Equestria. Ergo, any conclusion which could be drawn comparing Equestria to our world would not necessarily translate into any information on how the human world of Equestria Girls connects to Equestria via the mirror portal. I bring this up because you mention it in the blog so it is not off-topic.
4861364
All the animals that hibernate in the show, that have real-world analogs, also hibernate for similar reasons and presumed "duration", that being Winter. It's also confirmed that snails do similarly hibernate, as the minimum of 4 months indicate, being coldest parts of Autumn and Spring, adjecent to Winter.
On that note, I believe that, as we were discussing Moons, it would do to review a number of the relevant information. For just such a reason, I gave the maximum calculated duration the Mirror Portal stays closed.
It also helps to bear in mind that, given the sample of canonical nights we've seen in Equestria, I don't believe I've seen any moon that wasn't full (save what's on Lunas flank). Therefore, it should be reasonable to assume that a Moon (temporal measurement) has little, if anything, to do with the apparent nonexistent phases of the moon (the satellite).
Again, are you certain you don't want to do the minimum?
(EDIT: I've done that now, and did the minor aesthetic change by making all my Terran Days to Terran sols; you're welcome.)
4861378
I only have the utmost respect for these sorts of endeavors, I was just voicing my concerns. Your point about there being no phases of the Equestrian moon is something I hadn't yet considered, and your revisions to take both the minimum and the maximum into account are most constructive. Excellent work. You may very well be right with this one and I'll definitely be listening out for how Equestrian "Moons" are referenced further into the series.
4861422
And I appreciate and respect your dispute; science would go nowhere swiftly without the criticism of peer-reviews. If it wasn't for your comment, I wouldn't have thought to refine my statement, so thank you.