The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-05-10
Life on the Moon.

moon has been supposed to be vast life
less desert. Astrono ners have abused
the moon in every possible way. They
have said there was DO heat in moonsbine.
They have denied the moon an atmos-
phero, and consequently water and organ
ic life. They have made us believe that
q residence in the moon would be exceed
ingly undesirable. The old faith 10 the
Goddess of the Night was quite overturn-
ed in scientific circles, and the fascina-
tions of moonlight were departing day by
day.
But ell this is changed, and the present
acquaintance of lorg-eyed science With
our satellite is very succinctly set forth
in summary carefully pepared for the
New York Tribune, from which We learn
that Knox and Melloni have shown, BY
very exact observations, that there is
heat in the moons rays. Zantedescbi
has discovered that this heat produces a
sensible effect upon the mimosa. An
English philosopher has found that the
earth is colder during the first quarter Of
the moon than it is in the second.
Upon the growth of plants the moon
exercises q remarkable influence. The
chemical action of light is necessary to
their principal work, the absorption of
carbon from the carbonic acid gas of the
atmosphere. This work all plants carry
on during the day aud in the night they
sleep-except when the moon shines
She wakes them and sets them at work.
So the farmers who plant only just before
the full moon are right, and the scoffers
who call them superstitious are themselves
the foolish ones. For, is sown before or
near new moon. the young plants get a
bove ground just at the full, when the
tender things need sleep. But if sown
just before the full, they come up about
new moon, pass their babyhood under
the smoothing influences of dark nights,
and when the full moon comes are sturdy
urcbiDs. able to work night and day.
The moon worsbipers are right, also,
in regard to the influence of the moon up
on the weather. Herschel, Arago and
Wbewell recognised that the moon had
some slight power in dispensing clouds
The Sailors go further, and say the moon
eats up the clouds. At the last meeting
of the British Association, it was shown
that the weather through long series of
years depended a little-a very little
upon the phases of the moon, and Quote,
let, the Director of the Brussels Obsersa-
tory, has shown that between the first
and last quarters of the moon, more, and
not less rain falls than during the re-
mainder of the tine. However, fine
weather and greater rainfall may 60 to-
gether.
Finally, Webb, after careful conpar-
ason of the present appearance of the
moon with the very precise maps made
by Madder some twenty years ago has
shown that there have been considerable
changes Some of the small craters, in
particular, have a notably deterrent form
from what they had when Nader observ
ed them. These changes show the exis
teDce of water and all atmosphere. Faith
er Secchi, Director of the Roman Obser-
vatory, after much observation has come
to the conclusion that the peaks of the
highest mountains on the moon are Gov
cred with snow. And, to make Us still
more at home on the moon, De la Rive,
the owner OF the observatory at Craw-
ford, near London, gives il as his opin-
ion that " hat were at first marked down
as seas, and afterwards supposed to be
barren plains, are in fact extensive for
ests. In support of this CONES up
great astronomic authority-Schwabe, the
discovery of the periodic times OF the
suns spots. Besides these great smooth
plains, which were called seas, there are
a number of burrows and wrinkles, near
ly hundred, the nature of which is en-
tirely unknown. Their length varies
from three to thirty. five miles, and their
greatest breadth is about FIVE thousand
feet; most of them are considerably mar
rover. Their sides are parallel and
smooth; some are run in straight lines,
and some are gently curved. Ordinarily
they are separate, bat sometimes they
cross craters, but occasionally they seem
to be cut off by them. They are found
all over the surface of the moon, except
on the highest mountain chains.
Of these burrows Scbwabe has made
careful study at various times. He found
them to consist Of very fine parallel dark
lines, separated by clear spaces. A few
% months later, the lines of streaks had dis
appeared, but after a little while they re.
turned. again to disappear. In this Pc
riodic change he thinks, that he fDds
proof that these lines are rows trees. and
the clear streaks between them are the
bare ground seen when the trees are leaf
less; when the trees are in full leaf the
ground is SO covered as to produce uni
form shake, and the lines disappear
Nothing is more natural than to suppose
that the dark spots on the moon are for
ests; but how shall we account for the
growth of these trees in right lines! This
hypothesis we must for the present con-
slider to be only hypothesis With the
aid of photography. which will secure for
US accurate pictures of the moon from
time to time. We may hope that the ques-
L. solroI nnd that NAV