A query on the limits of a Vampires abilities to walk in light.

[Timewave Zero]

We all know, save for Stephanie Meyer, that Vampires cannot walk in sunlight, but only come out at night.

Question is, since starlight is sunlight come from far away suns and the moons light is nothing but reflected sunlight, can a Vampire only go out when it's an overcast night?

I realise the whole 'walking in darkness' thing is probably a symbol of good and evil, light and darkness etc. I'm just wondering, if it were all real, could a Vampire walk amongst stars and the moon?

 

[Xyphon]

Probably has something to do with the strength of the rays.

 

[Dr.Sean]

Vampires are photophobic and extremely burnable.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Many people have contributed to the vampire myth, any bullshit you make up is just as valid as other peoples bullshit. So go nuts, and tell me...what is a vampires capacity to withstand sunlight? I say if a vampire wore a burka, he would be fine.

 

[grimsprice]

Depends on what 'vampire universe' you're talking about, but its true, starlight is the same as the sun. The moon, however, is reflected light; it doesn't have any UV light.

 

[Insanum]

Seriously, nowadays vampires are fairly immune to the sun.

 

[teisjm]

You get sun burned if you're staying in the sun too long.
I've never heard of anyone, not even nocturnal nudtsts who got sunburned by the stars or the moon.

 

[Trivun]

It depends on the fiction, I guess, much like any ideas of a vampire's weakness. In my (currently being written) vampire novel, for example, vampires can walk in the sunlight, but they are weaker in the sun than in the dark (in terms of physical strength and so on). At the same time, my vampires aren't weak to religious symbols, can cross running water, actually like eating garlic, and also can only be permanantly killed in Twilight fashion by ripping them apart and burning the pieces. However, they do not sparkle (if they do feel free to lynch me) and they can still be hurt very badly by wooden stakes or beheading (though as I said, not killed by them).

My point is, all vampires are different depending on the particular fiction. Hence this question has a pretty varied but general answer - it depends on the fiction itself.

 

[Seldon2639]

Uh... That's not accurate. There are a lot of mythos in which vampires (especially powerful ones) can walk in the sun. I get that it's fun to rag on her, but she's not the first to come up with the "can walk in the sun" thing. Hell, even Ann Rice did it.

But, in the same way that werewolves only react to a "full moon", I would imagine that the difference is the level of exposure. The difference is that moonlight and stars are very weak forms of "sunlight", and thus would have a negligible effect.

 

[Curtmiester]

I think it's because vampires are like demons (good old Drac was) and the sun is suppose to represent good, or god, or bright fucking light. Thus it kills them. And the reason the moon or stars don't is... they're sorta gothic?

 

[Flying-Emu]

Depends on what 'vampire universe' you're talking about, but its true, starlight is the same as the sun. The moon, however, is reflected light; it doesn't have any UV light.

So you're implying that it's UV light rather than visible light that harms the vampires?

 

[Altorin]

How can you honestly compare starlight to sunlight?

You have a BIT more weight with the moon comment, but light rays reflected off the moon are very small in comparison to the sun (Considering it's pretty dark outside that'd be clear).

There have been cases in literature of extremely sensitive vampires unable to be out in bright moonlight, but most of the time the light provided by the moon is considered negligible compared to the light of the sun, even to photosensitive creatures like vampires.

Depends on what 'vampire universe' you're talking about, but its true, starlight is the same as the sun. The moon, however, is reflected light; it doesn't have any UV light.

So you're implying that it's UV light rather than visible light that harms the vampires?

that's right, almost every vampire lit that I've read that goes into the physical processes behind their light sensitivity, it's the UV light that does it.

 

[Godavari]

I'd say that it has something to do with how strong the light is. How about this - vampires lose strength in any kind of light, including man-made. Sunlight, being one of the brightest light sources we see on a common basis, would be the most effective at weakening a vampire. Starlight and moonlight by comparisson are very weak and therefore would still weaken the vamp, but not to an extent that is crippling.
Maybe all vampires should just live in caves?

 

[Timewave Zero]

No, I mean the only real Vampires; the Eastern Eurpean Wampyri, or just Vampires in general.
Like Dracula (not the Francis Ford Coppola movie). The Wampyri were really just corpses that drank blood.

I seriously hate it when Vampires can walk in sunlight. It's always been a rule that they can't, right from the beginning.
Probably the best modern Vampires to date are the ones in 30 Days of Night. Monstrous, cunning creatures that were undead and just drank blood. Also, UV light hurt them. Perfect.

 

[Timewave Zero]

We all know, save for Stephanie Meyer, that Vampires cannot walk in sunlight, but only come out at night.

Wrong.
I'm fairly certain Dracula was just less powerful in sunlight, rather than incapable of moving in it.

And frankly, it depends always upon the writer, but I've never seen any mention of starlight affecting them.
And doesn't the Moon reflect light from the Sun?
That doesn't seem to do it either.

I said starlight in the sense that it's really just sunlight, but from far away.
I haven't read Dracula, but as far asi know, he couldn't go out in sunlight. Could he?

 

[Ryokugax]

Many people have contributed to the vampire myth, any bullshit you make up is just as valid as other peoples bullshit. So go nuts, and tell me...what is a vampires capacity to withstand sunlight? I say if a vampire wore a burka, he would be fine.

If you read the Joe Pitt Casefiles, in the first book, Already Dead, the protagonist vampire DOES go out wearing an all-white burka to reflect as much sunlight as possible and gets a good way across New York City on a fairly sunny day

 

[kahlzun]

So you're implying that it's UV light rather than visible light that harms the vampires?

Traditionally. Otherwise, moonlight would be just as bad.

My understanding is that it burns them like heavy acid.

A rough guess as to a timetable:
Less than 10 seconds of exposure= 1st degree burns
10-15 seconds= 2nd degree burns
15-30 seconds= 3rd degree burns
30+ seconds = smoke and ashes.

And some protection may be provided by sunscreen and heavy clothing, but realistically only limited protection could be attained by anything less than NBC equipment, especially for the face.

 

[Ryokugax]

I said starlight in the sense that it's really just sunlight, but from far away.
I haven't read Dracula, but as far asi know, he couldn't go out in sunlight. Could he?

Yes he can, as Van Helsing says, the vampire is no different to any other nocturnal animal and can move around during the day, but it's not its normal time and as such its power is extremely inhibited.

 

[kahlzun]

A good modern vampire series is the Necroscope series by Brian Lumley.

Best attempt to explain vampires in a logical fashion I've read.