Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-12
THE MOON A DEAD STAR.


The Maine Journal of Education has
translated an article from the Cosmos, in
which Stanislaus Meunier gives some Gu
rious speculations with regard to the pre-
sent physical condition of the moon.
His theory is, and he has the support of
eminent astronomers like Beer, MOedler,
and Arago, that the moon is dead star.
He draws this inference from a singular
appearance upon the surface, which is
called ''groves" bythe physicists. These
groves have parallel sides nearly mile
in width, and from ten to one hundred
and twenty-five miles in length. There
are already niaety of them, and it is sup
posed that more are in process Of fOrma-
tio1. Reasoning from analogy, we must
believe that at some period in the distant
pas. the moon had an atmosphere and
water, and also that on account of her
inferior size, she has cooled much more
ouiclzly than the earth. The water pene-
trating the crust has been absorbed as the
decrease of internal heat increased the
thickness of the crust, until long before
the cooling process had reached the cen
ter. the water had disappeared. The
rocks then solidifying, as the heat supply
diminished, contracted in a manner re-
semi ling the appearance of basalt and
prod iced the grooves into which the at
mosphcrs settled. Hence comes the cha
otic appearance of the moon, with its
immense mountains, volcanoes, and era
tiers. Some astronomers have detected an
appe france of action in some of the vol
canoes; but the general opinion is, that
every vestige of physical life has long
since departed from the surface OF our
satellite.
These theories are all very well when
applied TO our distant neighbOr, the
moon, but we cannot shut our eyes to the
startling fact that the earth is undergoing
a similar process of transformation. Ge-
olOgists trace a close resemblance between
the circles in the moon and the circles OF
granite and prophyry upon the earth.
They have also discovered evidences OF a
fine stratifica,ion among the lunar noun
tains, while the volcanic formations bear
q dlscernible analogy 10 those of Tene-
rife and Palma.
According to the new theory, the fol
lowing is the process slowly taking place
on the earth's surface, for she, like hel
subordinate, is gradually cooling: 1t is es-
timated that one fiftieth of the Origina
ocean has been already absorbed, and tina
when the crust of the earth has become
one hundred miles in thickness every
drop of water will disappear. 1t is alsC
estimated that the earth could easily alb,
sorb fifty oceans like those which now
cover a large portion of the surface.
All the water at present on the eartf
constitutes one twenty-fOur thousandtt
part of its weight, and once absorbed
would become iDsensible to chemical anal
ysis. The water being absorbed, thu
earth viii crack open like the moon anC
form similar grooves into which the at
mOspheTe will settle. Long before thi;
era all life will have ceased.
Whether there is any truth in the new
theory or not, we have no immediate
cause of alarm for the process will moi
advance enough TO give the slightes
record in the short span of single life
time. According to the experiments oil
Bschof, II will take nine millions of year.
for the earth 10 cool down fifteen degrees
L HIS lOSS Is dllllbSJ nllIJCiCCyIlblNs 10 tAA'
mineral heat adds only a thirtieth of q
degree TO the temperament of the surface
If this process is true of the earth ant
the moon, the same cause must produce
the same effects in the other planets ant
satellites of the system. Even the great
sun himself must be subjected to the laws
which rule his subordinates. Therefore,
the time must come in the distant age
of the hereafter, when sun, planets ant
moon, losing every vestige of heat, viii
have absorbed every drop of water in thei
thickened crust, and will have impris
oned every particle of atmosphere in thei
huge assures.
The solar system, now so grandly beau
tiful, will then be but an assemblage o
dead worlds, without ray aflight, with
out wave of heat, without drop o
water, without a breath of air floating
round in the immensity of space, bOunt
together by the law of grayitation in tn
embrace of death.
1t is not pleasing speculation, it it
philosophical one