The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-08-16
Recent Eu,sar Discoveries.

: 1t is only very recently that the enpirica
notion so presistently maintained by ccrtai
astronomers, Of the utterly lfeless waste @
the moons surface, has been exploded. Th
way this idea got prevalence was in dcnyin,
the existence of an atmosphere around tn,
moon, state Of things that would of neces
sity exclude the existence Of water and oi'
ganic life from our satellite. This theory
led to further denial of heat in lunal
rays, from which flowed a multitude of er
rors.
But Knox and Melvin have proved by y'exact
observations, that there is heat in moon.
shine, and zantcdesch has measured it in
his effects upon mimosa, while an English
scholar mas demonstrated that the earth is
colder in the first quarter of the moon than
| it is in second. Again moonshine excrts a
wonderful influence on plants. Light en-
ables them to absorb carbon from the car
bonic acid gas Of the atmosphere, and this is
their daily work. They sleep at night, ex-
cept when the moonlight wakes them up,
and sets them to work again. So the farmer
is right when he sows his seed just before
the full of the moon, FOR the plants come up
about the time Of the new moon; and pass
their infancy undr the dark night but when
the full moon comes, it sets them to work,
and thus the process of growing is continued
day and night, while the contrary course
is injurious to the tender plant, which requi-
res sleep.
The Sailors say that the moon eats up the
clouds and Whcwell and Quetlct have pro-
we'd the truth of the observation, by showing
that more rain falls in the dark moon than in
its second and third quarters.
Webb has shown by carful comparison
Of the present appearance of the moons sur
face, with that made BY Medler years ago
that it has undergon great changes. Sever
al of the minor cratens have assumed differ
cnt shapes.
These changes indicate the existence ofair
and water. Secch has demolStratcl that
the peaks of the highest mountains are COW
cred with snow. De Ia Rive has ,,ll;cba-ren
that what used to be req Schwabe, the
plains are xttfsp periodic times of the suns
H55ts Si53ts, sustains the discovery of De la Rive.
He turned his Investigations to the sinuous !
farrows or wrinkles. numbering 100 or more,
the nature OF which had not even been CUES
sed at.
They are from to 35 miles long, and
about ), 900 feet broad After careful eX
he found the furIow5 to consist
Of trees, leafcss at one season and in full
foliage at another, for the changes in their
appearance are periodic. Hence another
proof of atmosphere and water and all the
phenomena incident to the existence of these
clements.
The photography of the moons surface,
now going on in the American and European
observatories, and the special attention paid
to the study of the lunar surface b. some Of
Che most distinguished astronomers Of the
day, cannot fail to result in more wonderful
discoveries than those we have just noticed.
We have no doubt, the mass of matter of
which the moon is made, will be found to be
of the same character as that Of the earth
and subject to similar laws OF existence, and
that the surface viii be found capable OF sus
tanning organic life.