The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-03-31
THE EARTH AS SEEN FROM
THE MOON.

The inhabitants of the moon perceive
in their sky gigantic star, constantly
immoveable at the same height. To
their eyes this globe is twelve times as
large as the sun, but it differs from all
the stars in being always suspended in
the same place over their heads. 1t
presents phases to them as the moon
does to us, passing through all the
gradations of ue,o and tuH earth. This
star, as we have just said, is the earth
we inhabit.
Those who dwell in the centre of the
lunar disk behold our globe suspended
from their zenith, lowering eternally
in the midst of the starry skies. Others
see it at 70 degrees of elevation, others
at 45 degrees, as they inhabit spots
more or less removed from the centre of
the visible hemisphere. Those who live
near the near the border of the hemisp-
here, see our globe on their horizon rest
ing on the mountains. A little further
on only half the earth is discernible,
and in passing to another hemisphere
the view vanishes for ever.
If we except the determination of
longitudes, the earth is more beautiful
and useful to the moon than the moon
is to the earth; and if the Selenites, or
habitants of the moon, rolling under
meath us, interpret the law of final
causes with as mnch partiality as we
do, they will have right apparently
superior to our own for regarding crea-
tion, the earth included, as especially
made for the Selenian race.
The earth is gigantic globe, sending
them thirteen times more light than the
full moon transmits to us. 1t revolves
on its axis in twenty-four hours, and
during this period exhibits all portions
of its surface, being thus more generous
than the moon, which always conceals
one hemisphere from our view. In con-
sequences of this motion, the Selenite
finds himself in an observatory magnifi-
Gently situated for viewing the terres-
trial disk, and his position is preferable
to that of the inhabitants Of the first
four moons of Saturn, who can never see
the whole of that planet; and they can
see the earth better than we see any
planet.
The earth generally presents to them
a greenish hue, in consequence of the
immense quantity of water by which it's
surface is covered, of the forests of the
new world, and of it's plains, and also
on account of the tint of it's atmosphere.
From time to time, however, large grey
or yellow spots divide the sphere. To
the east of the terrestrial disk appear
the lofty Cordilleras, marked by long
idented line just as we see in the lunar
Carpathians, to the west of the Sea of
Storms. Opposite this ridge, shady
green spot Of great extent unfolds itself
for many hours this is the great ocean.
Next comes two grey patches, which
look like one elongated; these are the
two isles Of New Zealand. Then ap-
pears the fine continent of Australia,
tinted with a thousand colors, and ac-
companied by New Guinea, Borneo,
Java, and the Philippines. At the same
time the grey country of Asia is en-
rolled, and extends to the white stippes
OF the pole. Africa, then comes in view,
divided by its milky way of sand. To
the north OF the great Sahara, appears
a little green spot torn in all directions
and full of ramifcations: this is the
Mediterranean above which those who
and almost invisible, France CD Then
the dry land will appear, and great dark
spots of the Atlantic will follow the
same revolutionary course. The Selentes
who carelessly contemplate in tranquil
nights the green and grey divisions of
the earth, will have no idea of the con-
tests in which the distant nationalities
are involved.
The earth is permanent clock to the
inhabitants of the moon, and this is not
It's least utility. By reason of it's inva-
llable movements, the fixed points
which mark the different longitudes will
be the hours on the meridian of the
moon. Each country of the globe has