Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-06-16
MISCELLANEOUS.
FROM THE NANTUCKET ENQUIRER.
A FRAGMENT
on TIE THEORY OF TIE UNIVERSE,
BY ST. PIERRE.
IN70 =
.(N0 s.

THE light of the moon is q reflection
of that of the sun. It participates Of his
properties in proportions, as yet not well
known, as this study has been neglected.
Pliny the naturalist has already remarked,
after the observations of the ancIents, that
1t augments by IFS heat the melting Of the
snow. a professor of physic at Rome,
some years since, having placed two yes
sells filed with water, one exposed TO the
moons light, and the other in the shade,
/ the water evapora!ed most rapidly in the
first. The same experiment was repeated
IN Paris, and with the same result. These
experiments produced no effect upon the
opinions of the learned, who then believed
that the moon was devoid of heat, because
Of an experiment made one colo winter
night with a burning glass. Butsvidence
so positive, and so easily referred to. IS
preferable to a mass Of negative testimony
resulting from experiments made with a
costly instrument. Every machine is to
be suspected 10 the study Of nature. The
prism Of Newton Showed hlm seven rays
of primitive colours m The decomposition
of hight Nature only displays three prlm-
live colours, intcrmugled with three other
intermediate shades. For myself Il seems
I that the moon ought to have a heat, which
necessarily results from the heat OF the
sun, which she reflects 10 us. wish no
other evidence of the fact, than common
sense aud the purposes she fulfls. by a
wise providence she is caused 10 pass into
,he hemisphere winch the sun abaudons,
as Il % compensate for ms absence When
bee Is upon the southern iroplc, she glad
deus with her presence the northern zones.
The Hght which she sheds on us Is warm,
whicn proves that she also has aa atinos-
phere, without which she would not have
volcanoes. that need air, nor seas, tie Sc
coud allmcnt Of volcanoes Her reelected
lrpht has not so much heat as the direct
RAYS which she receives from the sun, be-
cause she employs a portion Of It m her
own use. Il Is thus upon the earth that
the rays of light incorporate themselves
with the metals and the forests; whence
fhey are disengageG by combustion, aud
bl corruption, which lIberates them under
es.uauy pnOs Dnorosceut forms.
{ Our author sought to know what relation
/ there could be between the light Of the sun
snd that of the moon. He addressed him
self in the first place to mathematicians :;
but in vain One of them, only, had made
/ an experiment Of window glass, traversed
/ by ray of the sun; bat he employed so
great a quantity, that an obscure conse-
/ quence only resulted. He published it,
! however, for a little calculation covers a
multitude OF errors.
He had then recourse to celebrated
painters, who have deneated moonlight
views with magic touch. But great artists
reason little they know how TO Ieel: the
/ idea even of this comparison had never
come iuto their heads.
The famous Yernet must, however, be
excepted; who imagined a scale of colours
upon paper to fix in his designs the fleet
ling shades ofthe setting sun, that he might
/ transfer them to his canvass at his leisure.
/ At last, our uuhor, Witnessing himself the
effects of moonlight admitted through
minute hole into an obscure chamber, re-
solved to extend hIs experiments TO larger
scale. He observed under an angle Of 10
/ degrees. that Is to say, at distance equal
TO IFS height. the facade of the Thuileries
lighted up by full meridian moon. He
examined attentlvely the shade of ITS CO.
lumn, of It's figures, and Of its mouldlngs.
: 4 few DAYS afterwards he observed the
same objects under the influence of
I The sun al high noon, aud he found that
+ 1t was necessary 10 remove from 1t to
I a distance equal TO more than twelve times
the height of this monument, TO view 1t
with nearly similar effects This expert
mcnt. which he does not give with geome-
|trical accuracy. was a greater pleasure, as
I it established toe same proportions between
the light Of these two stars, as the time OF
their respective courses, and even OF their
+ distances.
For example-he course OF the sun Is q
wear: that OF the moon, nearly a month, or
lone twelfth part. The annual circuit OF
Itbe sun is divided into four cpochs, which
oive us the four seasons of the year, The
vernal and autumnal equinoxes. and the
summer and winter solstices. The times
Ioft the moon are divided monthly, into four
different periods the new moon, the hrS'
ouarter. the foil moon, and lastly the wane.
ITbe principal action of the sun IS at the
yernal equinox and the summer solst'ce :;
/ for al these periods we find the atmosphere,
refreshed by the preceding winter, IS more
dense. purer, and affords more heat to his
reflected rays. From reasons analogous
I TO these. the reflected light Of the moon has
, moro active agency and greater heat Up
nm the earth, when this star Is in the full
I - .--.,t.,-e - d..,,~o a. falf u1pD