The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-10-21
The Noon a Dead star.

The Maine Journal Of Education
has translated an article from the
Cosmos IN winch Stanisiaus Meun-
Ter gives some curious speculations
with regard to the present physical
condition of the moon.
His theory is, and has the support
Of eminent astronomers like Beer,
Moedler, and Arago, that the Noon
Is "a dead star. Ae draws tina in
ference from a singular appearance
upon the surface, which is called
grooves" by the physicists. These
grooves have parallel sides Learly a
mile in width, and from ten to one
hundred and twenty-five miles in
length. There are already ninety
of them, and 1t Is supposed that
more are IN process of formation
Reasoning from analogy, we must
believe that ut some period in the
past the moon had an atmosphere
and water. and also that on account
Ut her Inferior siEe, she cooled much
more quickly than the earth. The
water penetrating the crust had
been absorbed as the decrease Of the
internal heat increased the thick
ness of the crust, until long before
The cooling process had reached the
center, the water had disappeared.
Tho rock then soiidifying, an the
heat supply diminished, contracted
in q manner resembling the appear
anee of bs.alt and produced the
groves into which the atmosphere
settled. Hence comes the chaotic
appearance of the moon, with its
immense mountains, volcanoes, and
craters. Some astronomers have
detected an appearance OF action in
some of the volcanoes; but the gen
eral opinion rs. that every vestigs
of physical life has long since de-
parted from the surface of our satel-
lite.
These theories are all very well
when applied to our distant neigh
Dor, the moon; but we can not shut
our eyes TO the startling fact that
the earth Is undergoing a similar
process Of transformation. Geolv-
gists trace q clone resemblance be-
tween the circles is the moon and
the circles of granite and p9rphyry
upon the earth. They have also
discovered evidence of q fine strait
6catIon among the lunar mountains,
while the volcanic formations bear
a observable analogy to these Of
Teneriffe and Palma.
According TO the new theory, the
following is the process slowly
taking place on the earth's surface;
for she, like her subordinate, is grad.
ually cooling. 1t is estimated that
one>ffticth Of the original ocean has
been already absorbed, and that
when the crust of the earth has be.
come one hundred miles IN thick,
ness every drop Of water will dlsap.
pear. 1t is also estimated that The
earth conld easily absorb fifty
oceans like those which now cover
q large portion OF the surface.
Ali the water at present on thu
earth constitutes one twenty-foui
thousandth Fart of Its weight, anc
once absorbed would become insens.
IDLE to chemical analysis. The wa,
ter being absorbed, tho earth will
crack open lIke tho moon and form
similar grooves into which the at.
mosphere will settle. Long befcrt
this era al lite VIII have ceased.
Whether there is any truth in tn,
new theory or not, we have no i'm
mediate eanse of alarm /; for the pre-
cess will not advance enough L
give the slightest record in the shor
span OF a single life time. Accord
ing to the experiments of Blschot
it will take nine millions of year
for tho earth to cool down ifteeI
degrees. This loss is almost lmper
cep:lblr, as the mineral heat add