Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-02-09
TIE MOON A DEAD STAR.

The Naipr IonrnM of Education has
translated an article from the Cosmos, in
which Stanislaus Mcunier gives some Gu
rious speeulations with regard to the pres
cnt physical condition Of the moon
His theory is. and he has the sup
port Of eminent astronomers like Beer,
Moedl,r and Arago, that the moon is a
dead star. lie draws this inference from
n singular appearance upon the surface.
which is called grooves" by the physi-
cists. Thee grooves have parallel sides
nearly mile in width, and from ten to
one hundred and twenty miles in
length. There are already ninety of
them. and it is supposed that more are in
the process Of formation. Reasoning from
analogy. we must believe that, at some
period in the distant past, the moon had
an atmosphere and wate-, aud also that
on account Of her inferior size. she had
cooled much more quickly than the earth
The water penetrating the crust has bcen
absorbed as tho decrease of internal heat
increased the thickness Of the crust, until
long before the cooling process had reach
ed the centre, the water had disappeared
The rocks then solidifying. as the heat
supply diminished. contracted in n man
ner resembling the appearance of basait
and produced the grooves into which the
atmosphere settled. Hence comes the
chaotic appearance of the moon, with its
immense mountains. volcanoes and era
tcrs. Some astronomers have detected an
appearance ef action in some of the vol
canoes; but the general appearance is
that every vrsti-c of physical life has
long since departed from the surface Of
our satellite.
These theories are all very well when
applied te our distant neighbor. the moon:
hut We cannot shut our eyes to the start
ling fact that the earth is undergoing a
similar process Of transformation. Geol-
ogists trace close resemblance between
the circles in the moon and the circles Of
granite aud porrhyry upon the earth
They have also discovered evidences Of a
fine stratiGca:ion among the lunar noun
tains, while the volcanic formations bear a
disccrnablc analogy to those of Tencriffe
and Pama.
According to the new theory. the fol-
lowing is the process slowly taking place
on the ear,h's surface: for she, like her
subordinate. is adually cooling. It. is
estimated that one-fftieth Of the original
ocean has been already absorbed, and that
when the crust Of the earth has become
one hundred miles in thickness every drop
Of water will disappear. II is also esti-
mated that the earth could easily absorb
fifty oceans like those which now cover a
large portion of the surface.
All the water ut present on the earth
constitutes one twenty y-four-thousandth
part ofi,s weight. and ence absorbed would
become insensihie to chemical ANALYSIS
The water being absorbed. the earth will
crack open like the moon. and form sinr,
lar grooves into which the atmosphere will
settle. Long before this era all life will
have ceased.
Whether there is any truth in the theo-
~ or not. we have no immediate cause Of
alarm Cor the process will not advance
enough to give tho slightest record in the
short span Of single lifetime. Accord
ing to the experience Of Bisclof, it viii take
nine millions Of years for the earth 10 cool
down fifteen degrees This loss is almost
imperceptihle. as the internal heat adds
only tAirtieth Of a degree 10 the temper
ature Of the surface
If this process is true Of the earth and
the moon. the same cause must produce
the same effects in the other planets and
satellites OF the system. Even the great
sun himself must be subjected IN the laws
which rule bis subcrdinates Therefore.
, the time must come in the distant ages of
che hereafter, when sun. planets and
moon. losing every vestige Of heat. win
have absorbed every drop of water in their
thickened crusss and viii have Imprisoned
every particle of atmosphere in their huge
fssures. s+s-t ~
The solar system. now 50 grandly beaa-
tifal. win then be but an assemhlsge oi
dead worlds. Without a ray Of light. with
out q wave Of heat. without drop Of wa
ter, without a breath Of air floating round
in the immensity of space. bound tcgeth.
er BY the Law Of gravisasiOa in the en-
brace Of death. ...... ...
I. is not a pleasing spectacle. II Il is s
philosophical one .-ProrideRce Journal