The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-09-29
LUNAR cURIosITIES.
The Green Fields Dlscernible in the Moon
The Theory Of Vegetation.
scientific Americana

The Theory Of Vegetation.
scientific Americana
When the moon is at the full, the un
assisted eye readily distinguishes OF
her face certain dark gray spots more OIL
less sharply separated from the brighter
portions. Through the telescope these
spaces appear as broad, level spaces
resembling terrestrial seas. ' 3D.
Indeed, the earlier observers mistooB
them for seas, and by that name Latin
mare) they are known to this day. They
are not seas, however, but ancient sea.
beds, now probably nearly, if not quite,
destitute of water; vast, arid basins,
like the Sahara, or the great interior
| Utah Basin OF our own country.
Examined more closely, these dried-uI
sea-beds-to which Nelson applies the
irregular but convenient plural, mares
are seen TO have rolling surface, like
some of our Western prairies, or to be
traversed by numerous long ridges, re.
lsembling the wave-like sand hills which
tgIye so marked and particular an ap.
IDearauce to the deserts of Western Aus
tralia-the leveler portions being dotted
with low mounds interspersed with
| lcrater-plts.
| In many places formations of an appa-
rently alluVial character abound, while
traces OF water-action. Two of these
lunar plains-Mare Humorum and Mare
| IChrsium-are walled in completely by
| lofty mountaiils, presenting stupendous
precipices to the vanished sea. The
| larger mares are more like Ocean-beds.
| They run together as terrestrial oceans
| do, and sometimes merge into the
brighter continental regions without a
distinct line of demarkation. In other
places they show a rugged coast-line,
| rising into cliffs and peaks, and pierced
at lines by valleys and raVines.
| One of the most conspicuous of these
lunar ocean beds, also one OF the deep
est, is known as the Mare Serenitatis.
It's area is nearly, one hundred and
twenty-five thousand square miles.
Within its dark gray border, from thirty
to eighty miles wide, is an extensive in
ner plain, which at times presents fine,
clear, Hght-green tint, with central
stfeaks oil pure white-the green area
living lower apparently than tue gray ex.
terror. The green tint is difficult to
catch, except under favorable condi-
tions, and is much weakened by the et-
| feet of numerous small, white, round
spots and gray ridges.
Another Of the moons green plains
was discovered by Nader IN the Mare
Humorum, already mentioned. This is
one of the smallest as well as most dis
tlnctly Dordered of the darkgray plains.
Its area is fifty thousand miles. The
| greater portion OF its inte 'ior is distinct
| Iy tingel dusky-green, some times very
marked, ahordlng u strong contrast
with the pure gray of the borders and
| high inclosing ridges. On the west, the
green area eXtends nearly to the edge of
| the mare; but elsewhere, as in the Mare
Serenltatis, IL is separated from the bor-
der by a narrow, dark-gray tlInge, ex-
cept on the northwest, where the. gray
and green areas merge Insensibly to
each other.
Still another area of green is observed
| in the Mare Chrlslum, one OF the most
conspicuous of the moons dark plains
| 1t is completely inclosed, and is, per-
haps, the deepest OF the lunar mares,
It's area is seventy-eight thousand
square miles. Its general tint is gray
III xed with an unmis taxable tinge Of
| green, especially under high illumina-
tion. This verdant hue is seen TO the
| best advantage for several days before
and alter the moon is full.
These and other color changes on the
| lace OF the moon-as, for instance. the
darkening OF the great ring-plain oil
Plato with increasing light, and like
changes in certain long, winding lunar
valleys-led Beer and Nader to suggest
that they would indicate vegetation,
were vegetation possible ON the surface
OF the moon. But, having accepted Bes- :
sePs conclusion that there could be
neither air nor water on the lunar sur
face, and consequently no life, those
mucn respected photographers could
not entertain the hypothesis of lunar
vegetation, however strong the evidence
might seem. ....... .
But BessePs opinion, as our readers
already know. is Inconsistent, not only
with the conditions on which he based
his calculations, but also with the re-
suits OF more recent studies of the state
Of the moons surface. So far from be-
ing an airless, waterless, unalterable
desert, a changeless mass Of dead mat
ter, like so much volcanic scoria, the
moon is now known to have an atmos-
phele of considerable volume and dem
sty; to present abundant evidence of
phys activity and change; and to
have, in all probability, water enough to
make lie easily possible ON its surface.
The moon is dying, but very far from
dead. Being so much smaller than the
earth, it has run its course more rapidly:
but is still good way off from that goal
of ultimate deadness to which so many
astronomers have theoretically assigned
it. There is not the slightest adequate
evidence, Nelson says, of the popular
view; and Its truth would be admitted
by no astronomer who had devoted sulii-
cient attention to selenography to ena.
BILE him to thoroughly realize tue proba.
BILE present condition of the MOON"
Such being the case, the hypothesis
that the moons green plains derive their
color from vegetation ceases to be i'm
possible or absurd. The evidence is not
OF character to justify a positive as
sertien that the mythical man in the