The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-02-26


actual intcrposition of the solid edge of the
| moon, and if the moon has now no atmos-
phere, whatever there may have been, there
can no longer be either ignition or COM
bustion there, neither now nor in Herschel's
| day. at least rs we understand these phen.
omena. We would like to know ifastrono-
mers are prepared to assert that the moon
actually has no atmosphere, no gaseous en-
velope of any kird deep or shallow, two
miles deep, one mile, or onc-fourth of a
mile, any atmospl ere at all. Our atmos.
phere is dense with tho vapor of water and
| filled with germs and dust. As there is no
water in the moon, no life, no movement
there, hence neither germs nor dust, it &C.
ours to us that atmospheric effect would be
very much diminished, and difficult to de-
tect. We believe that there is q shallow
atmosphere, not so dense nor nearly so deep
as that about the earth; we believe this
because we believe that our atmosphere
extends through all space extremely at
tenuated, but condensed about each plan
| ct proportionately to its bulk and density,
that the same oxygen and nitrogen which
we breathe, sustains sentieut life in the
tarthest satellite of the farthest star This
is so perfectly in harmony with the beau
tllul economy OF nature as seen through
all His works, we would believe it if there
were no other analogy for it; and if the as
tronomers with their telescopes can not
make it out, $50 much the worse for the
astronomers, or at least for their instru-
ments. The theory is true to us, neverthe-
| less.
In Norton's astronomy, "a text book for
| p0llpDpc WE hn fall
| tain phenomena which have been obsery-
ed afford indubitable evidence of the pres
ence OF certain limited body ofair upon
| the moons surface"
| The celebrated Schroeder perceived what
he supposed to be the moons twilight, and
| hence inferred the existence ola lunar at
mosphere.
| But the moon has no water at least upon
the side which is always towards our plan
ct; II there were water, with or without
an atmosphere, there would be yapor, and
clouds, and even small clouds would
be visible, and to the naked eye vary the
appearance Of the moon; but no mortal
eye, with or without glass, in all proba-
blllty, ever saw moving spot upon the
| face of the moon If water existed there
in the form Of ice, even in limited areas,
its existence would be detected MS in the
many times more distant Mars. 1t would
relieve both heart and Imagination if we
could people the moon with sentient ex-
lstence, with world Unreasonable, happy
beings, even ifno more comfortable than
ourselves. A vast globe of frozen lifeless
matter swinging there unchanged through
all the ages, without motion, without sound,
without single breath of lite on all its
surface; or liza rock tumble or mountain
peak topple down, no eye to see, and no
ear to hear; no green meadows, no waving
forests, not spear of grass, not single
tree; silent, breathless, lifeless desert,
ragged with broken mountains five miles
high, or more level tracts interspersed with
craters steep as well and deep as an ocean.
However quiet and silent now, it has some
time been the scene of awful elementary
violence and commotion.
Possibly through million years, while
the earth was still unfit for habitation, it
was populous world, but hanging in space
where the cold is estimated to be at least
| 100 degrees below zero, as it was sooner
cool enough, owing to its smaller bulk, for
| the existence ofliie, so was it sooner fro
zen.
Pale and cold, chained to the earth by
their mutual attraction, "the body of this
DEATH which the earth herself may die, it
| swings about her as she runs her swift race
around the sun, now on this side and now
on that, unreliable and. inconstant as au il
luminator of the night, but the bilowy
bosom OF the earth heaves ever to her in
iluencc.
1t seems probable that Herschel mistook
the sunlight on the mountain cliffs amid
dark shadows for red hot flowing lava and
volcanic fires.
The visible portion Of the moon is q con-
slant study, every part of its surface visible
from the earth has been mapped and NAM
ed, and the slightest perceptible change
would not long escape notice. From year
to year no change is noted, without it be
u doubtful transformation in some of the
more rugged mountain districts, which
might occur from the crumbling ana fall
ing of the lava.
A more definite idea of the size of the
moon may be had from the statement, that
were it to fall into the Atlantic ocean its
full diameter would reach from Nova SEQ
tia to the English coast. G. G. C.