The New York herald., 1874-10-25
At
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ties upon her face carefully determined. Lying
upon our backs and viewing the moon
through the telescope, we nnd that her noun
tains, like ours, have their submits first lighted
BY the rays Of the rising sun, while the plains
beneath, and their rude, rugged sides, are in the
dreariest and deepest darkness.
Its hemisphere, subjected to the scrutiny Of the
Rosse and Herschelan telescopes has been
mapped with the greatest care. The
RAGGED SUBMITS or THE HILLS.
under the rays OF the sun, glow and sparkle with
wondrous beauty. AS she changes her course, the
black shadows OF the massive rocks creep down
into the valleys, until the sun has re ached the
zenith. Then the shadows steal up the towering
crags, hiding the plains below, until at length
the sun sets, leaving the hemisphere In total dark
ness. By measuring with o mlcrometer the ap-
parent sizes OF those shadows, we are enabled TO
determine tho heights OF the mountains which
cast them, In the same way as we would deter
mine the height Of a church steeple by measuring
the length Of It's shadow, and observing at
what angle the sunbeams fell upon It. one
range extends above level country, and,
known as "The Apenninesn Is about 200
miles In extent. These are visible when
the moon passes Its first quarter, and present Q
scene OF unsurpassed beauty, with their sllvery
ridges and pitchy ravnes. The thousand hues
which deck the sky and clouds on our planet are
utterly absent from the moon Some OF the noun
tains rise to q height Of 5000 or 10000 feet-a
height far greater IN proportion to Its size than
are the HImalayas to the size OF the earta. In
many places solitary peaks tower abruptly to a
height OF 1900 or 1000 feet. The cavities excite
still more admiration and awe than the craggy
| hf ooft thnrN utpk tn Annfh ~ txvN
and three miles. Owing TO the
BowLsHApED APPEARANCES
OF these the theory has been advanced that they
are the craters Of extinct volcanoes, which view,
as IL finds an analogy In the physical nature of the
other planetary bodies, confirms the belief that at
| one time there existed on the moon violence OF
chemical action, fractures and gigantic upheavals
/ Of matter such rs have never been known on
! cur own globe within the memory OF man.
/ The darker spots OF the moon were once supposed
| to be lakes and seas; but tnis supposition is
untenable. One OF these spots Is circular IN out.
! line and has lofty range OF hills on the western
| and southwestern sides. The range gradually
sinks in the east and sloping beach leads down
| 70 a surface smoother than any lake. Into this
| there seems to dow = river of great magnitude
I extending back into q country dotted with a
hundred islands, and then dividing into two
! branches which no telescope can trace back be-
yend distance OF 1ity miles.
! THE VOLCANIC THEORY
OF some of the central craters is toleraby well
established. One or these, named Copernicus,
near the eastern hmb is situated near the
Equator. and presents all the appearances Of an
| extinct volcano. A little 10 the east OF this IS
another similar one called Kepler. Near the
moons southern limb is another named Tycno.
such circular ranges have sometimes a
diameter OF nifty miles and height OF
three mues. The greatest height OF any lunar
mountain thus far observed ia about four
| and a quarter miles. From some OF the
apparent volcanoes, there issue streaky ra1iatons
which extend in all directions to great distances
t across the deepest valleys and depressions. They
are probably high ridges OF great reflective power
These phenomena are repeated oil across the
! visible surface OF the moon, forming the massive
| aud glorious orb which has been the theme OF so
! much poetry. In size the moon only Is one
nftieth OF that OF shc earth but her mass Is only
| one-eightieth.
/ ISpLURNCR ON THE TIDES
| Relatively small though this mass be, It neverthe-
! less exerts an attractive power sufficient to lift
the immense mass OF waters on our globe from
their normal position, causing the to oscil-
! late up ana down and generating the familiar oc-
currence OF tides. 1t Is true that the sun Is mil
lions OF times more powerful IN his attraction than
brlHlnR
| compar red TO the moons. The reason OF this Ia
! that there Is less ratio between the
suns distances from the midday and midnight
I portions or the earth than there is between the
! moons distances from the near and remote sides
| of the earth. The result is that the moons at
\ traction Is least at the remote side OF the earth
and greatest at the near side. Hence the ocean
bulges out at those opposite regions, causing high
tides at the same instant on opposite
sides Of the earth. At points half way
| between those places shere is low tide.
| The time which elapses from one high tide
to another is twelve hours and twenty-five min
{ utes. 1t would be exactly twelve hours but for
the continued motion OF the moon eastward. caus-
! ing a delay OF twenty-five minutes every twelve
! hours.
OTHER INFLUENCES ExEgTEp BY LUNA
| The term lunatic Is derived from the Latin name
! Luna witch signifies the moon, because persons
! afflicted with madness we're supposed TO
be influenced and aggravated as the
| recurrence OF the new moon. Persons
subject to epneptic and cataeptc its are likewise
! known to oc attacked more violently az the same
period Wood cut at certain phases OF the moon
Is more liable to rot than when hewn at other
periods, ana changes OF the weather are more
likely to take place when the moon enters her
respective quarters than at any otner
time These and many other phenomena
are 70 this day subjects OF wonder, and 10
remains, perhaps, for the electrician, or the ex.
FOUNDER OF some more subtle force, 60 account for
those mysterious Influences which are propagated
through the invisible ether and communicated TO
men in manner that forcibly proclams the gov
ernmcnt or one Infinite Astronomer before whose
wondrous dispositions Of material and spiritual
force all human powers. physical and intellectual
alike, must pale.
THE MOON IN PAST AGES
tits asserted with good authority that as far
back as the second century before the Christian