Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-08-15

'udt tHe rays OIllBut Sout Ou lEOh huO
coin, which, while the vessel was emp
ty, struck upon and we're Intercepted by
the edge of the vessel, are, after the wa
ter is poured in, bent in a direction more
inclined TO the perpendicular, than be-
fore, and when they emerge from the
surface Of the water, eeme out at point
which is visible 10 the eye. Now, TO ap.
ply this principle on occasions Of occul'
tations by the Moon Of a star: If the
moon were furnished with an atmosphere
a star, though actually behind the Moon
or below its edge, would be visible, for
asmuch as the rays from it being bent out
of their course by the atmosphere, would
as it were, shine over the edge. But no
such phenomenon. is presented. The
most accurate observations have been
made; the time Of the stars appulse or
first contact with the moon has been no
ted, the time ofits disappearance and the
moment of its temperance from behind
the moon, and the result is, that it has
been fully ascertained, that tue star dis
appears at the very moment that the
edge of the Moons substance is removed
from between it and the eye Of the spec
tator. These observations prove that
the Moon has no atmosphere; or, if it
have any, then, that il is not in volume
so great, by thousand times. as the one
which surrounds our earth, oris equally
tenuous and inconsderable with that
which is ler, in an exhausted Receiver,
and which, for all earthly purposes, may
he regarded as next to nothing.
Has the Moon water2 If yea, then
there would be evaporation, and eVapo'
ration, greatly more rapid and enormous,
from the absence of air. The vaPor thus
raised would refract light, but it has been
seen that there is no relraction. Con-
sequentIy Il may be set down with GER
tainty that the Moon has no water, and
probably no fluid Of any kind.
4 The Moon is without air, water, Va>
pors, or liqpids. 1t is a hard and sterile
orb, to all appearance unified to sup-
port the organization and growth, either
animal or vegetable, which are familiar
TO us.
The Moon has the light which it bor-
rows from the sdn--and the proportion
Of that light as compared with the sun!
light, may be judged of by the statement
that is the whole armament were one
enormous Moon, the light would then
only equal that Of The Sun. Moonlight
has been supposed to be cold, and pu'
crescent. BY experiments with the def
ferentiaI thermometer, one degree ol
which is equal to only 50Oth ofOne oi
Fahrenheit---and which of course is a
most exquisitely delicate test, it has been
found that the Moonlight has no warmth
Aud, moreover, there is nothing to sup'
port The notion that 1t is cold.
All telescope observations show thai
the Moon has an exceedingly broken
and rugged surface. Its mountains ant
cavities have been measured. Some Of
each of these have been found TO b.
from mile and half to twn miles high
or deep. This height is relatively grea
tor than that Of the mountains on TIL
earth's surface.
That the Moon displays the evidence
Of immense volcanic action, at some tim,
there is little doubt. Ulloa, Beccaria
Katar and Hershell have professed tc
find signs of volcanoes in the Moon ye
active, during solar eclipses. Brigh
spots have been deserted, it is sa id, Of
the Moons darkened face at such times
These have been explained on two othe
suppositions. One Of these, laughable a
it may appear, is that there are holet
through and through the Moon, and tha
| it is the Suns light which is seen thrOug
the holes! Another is, that the ligh
seen is the reflection Of rays from tn
earth, caught by and sent back fror
prominent points on the Moons surface
To this last supposition there IS fata
obiection-that these lights once see
would be always visible, ceteris pGribus
but such is not the fact. AS to th
holes through the body of the Moon, ev
cry body can make up his own mind a
bout il as he saw fit. To the theory
present volcanic action, it may be Objec'
ed that air would pc required to supper
Iit. But this objection has no force
Imprisoned gases in seats Of volcani
, action may be relea sed in vacuo, as it
known that gunpowder will explode vi
der the same circumstances. The ths'
II ry ofactiVe volcanoes is not, howeVe
generally accredited.
r Is the Moon inhGbiteda This que
ton may be answered, by asking, how
is possible 10 sustain either animal
. vegetable life, where there is neither o
: nor water, and where, from the absenC
!. Of air, the cold would be intense and i
: supportable to degree never felt eve
. on the snow capped SUBMITS of the A
/ des2 Can it be supposed that plants CT
thrive and the inferior animals and mi
/ flourish, where there is no: a breath
air, or a drop OF water, or particle