The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-08-11
Is Orr Moon Inhabited !

But here the question is naturally sug-
gested whether our own moon, which Is
but quarter of million of miles away
from us, ought not first TO be examined
for signs of life, or, at least, of being
fitted for the support Of life. When
the telescope was first invented, it is GER
tain that astronomers were more hope
full of recognizing such signs in the
moon than in any other celestial body
As telescopes of greater and greater
power were constructed, our satellite
was searched with a more and more
eager scrutiny. And many a long year
elapsed before astronomy would accept
the conclusion that the moons surface
is wholly untitled for the support of any
of those forms of life with which we are
familiar upon earth. That the belief in
lunar men prevailed in the popular
mind long after astronomy had aban
doned it, is shown by the eager creduli-
tv with which the story of SIR John
Herschefs supposed observations Of the
customs and manners Of the LunarianS
was accepted even among well educated
men. Who can forget the gravity with
which that most amazing hoax was re-
peated in all quarters? 1t was, indeed,
ingeniously contrived. The anxiety of
Sir John Herschel to secure the assist
ance of King William. and the care with
which 'our sailor-king" inquired whether
the interests of nautical astronomy
would be advanced 10y the proposed in
quiries the plausible explanation of
the mode Of observation, depending, we
We're gravely assured, upon the trans
fusion of light the trembling anxiety
of Herschel and his fellow-workers as
the moment arrived when their search
was to commence; the flowers, resem-
bling peoples, which first rewarded their
scrutiny: and the final introduction
upon the scene of those winged beings
not, strictly speaking, men, nor properly
10 be called angels-to whom Herschel
assigned the generic appellation, Yes
pertiio Homo, or Batmen. All these
things, and many others equally anus.
ing, were described with marvellous
gravity, and with an attention to details
reminding one of the description in
Guliver's Travels" One can hardly
wonder, them that the narrative was re.
ceived in many quarters with unques
tioning faith, nor, perhaps, even at the
simplicity with which (as Sir John Her
schel himself relates) well-meaning per
sons planned measures for sending mis-
sionaries "among the poor benighted
Lunarians."
Yet astronomers have long known full
certainly that no forms of life, such as
we are familiar with, can exist upon the
moon. They know that if our satellite
has an atmosphere at all, that atmos
phere must be so limited in extent that
no creatures we are acquainted with
could live in it. They know that she
has no oceans, seas, rivers or lakes
neither clouds nor rains and that if she
had, there would be no winds to waf
moisture from place to place, or to cause
the clouds to drop fairness upon the
lunar fields. They know also, that the
moons surface is subjected alternately
10 cold far more intense than tina
which binds our arctic regions in ever
lasting frost, and to a heat compared
with which the fierce noon of tropica
dav is as the freshness of a spring morn
ing. They search only over the luna
disc for the signs of volcanic action
feeling well assured that no traces o
the existence of living creatures vii
ever be detected in that desolate orb
The C6rnhW Magazine