Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-11-09
GREEN FIELDS IN THE MOON.
A Little World that is Dying but not yet
Dead--Pastures Extending Thousands
of Square Miles--NOt an Airless, Wat
erless, Unaltsrable Desert, as Gener-
ally Believed.
From .he Scientific Americana

on her face certain dark spots more
or less separated from the brighter
portions. Through the telescope
these spots appear as broad, level
spaces. resembling terrestrial seas. In.
deed, the earlier observers mistook
them for seas, and by that name nat.
in, mcre) they are known to this day
They are not seas, however, but an
cient 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
continent.
Examined more closely. these dried
up sea-beds are seen to have a roll
ing surface like some of our Western
prairies, or to be traversed by numer-
Gus long ridges, resembling the wave
like sand hills which gave so mark
ed and particular appearance to the
deserts OF Western Australia, the lev
eler portions being dotted with low
mounds, interspersed with small era
ter pits. In many places formations OF
an apparently alluvial character
abound, while the ancient coast lines
show distinct traces OF water action.
Two OF these lunar plains--Mare Hu-
mOrltm and Mare Curisium are
walled in completely by lofty noun
tains, presenting stupendous preci-
pices TO the vanished sea- They run
together as terrestrial oceans do. and
sometimes more into the brighter
continental regions without distinct
| line of demarcation. In other places
they show a ragged coast line, rising
into cliffs and peaks, and pierced at
times by valleys and ravines.
One OF the most conspicuous of
these lunar ocean beds, also one of
the deepest, is known as the Mare
Sere,,itas. It's area is nearly 125, 200
square miles. Within its dark gray
border, from thirty to eighty miles
wide, is an extensive inner plain
which at times presents fine, clear
light green tint, with a central streak
Of pure white, the green area lying
lower apparently than the gray ex-
terror. The green tint is difficult to
catch, except under favorable condi-
tions. and is much weakened by the
effect OF numerous white round spots
and gray ridges.
Another of the moons green plains
was discovered by Nader in the
Mare Hum5rum already mentioned.
This is one of the smallest, as well as
most distinctly bordered, of the dark
gray plains. Its area is $4,000 square
miles. The greater portion OF its in
terror is distinctly. tinged dusky
green, sometimes very marked, af-
fording a strong contrast with the
pure gray OF the borders and high in
closing ridges. On the west the
green area extends nearly to the edge
of the mare, but elsewhere, as i'm the
Mare Serenitatis. 1t is separated
from the border by narrow, darker
gray fringe, except on the northwest
where the gray and green areas
merge insensibly into each other.
Still another area of green is OBJ
served in Mtre Chrisiunl, one of the
most conspicuous OF the moons dark
plains. 1t is completely inclosed, and
is perhaps the deepest of the lunar
mares. Its area is 10000 square
miles. Its general tint is gray, mix
ed with an unmistakable tinge of
green, especially under high illumin-
alton. This verdant hue is seen TO
best advantage for several days be-
fore and after the moon is full.
These and other colors change on
the face Of the moon-as, for instance
the darkening of the great ring of
Plato, with increasing light, and like
changes in certain long, winding, lu-
mar valleys-led Beer and Madler to
suggest that they would indicate veg
citation, We're vegetation possible on
tie face or the moon. But having
accepted Bessel's conclusion that
there could be neither air nor water
on the lunar surface, and conse-
quently no life, these much-respect-
ed selenographers could not enter
tain the hypothesis OF lunar vege-
tation, however strong the evidence
might seem.
But Bessel's opinion is inconsistent
not only with the conditions on which
he based his calculation, but also with
the result OF more recent studies. of
the state OF the moons surface. So
far from being an airless, waterless,
unalterable desert, a changeless mass
OF dead matter, like so much volcan-
ic scoria. the moon is now known to
have an atmosphere CT considerable
volume and density, to present
abundant evidence OF physical activi-
~ and change and to have in all
probability water enough to make
life 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 rap
idly, but is still good way off from
that goal OF ultimate deadness to
which so many astronomers have
so theoretically assigned it. There
is not the slightest adequate evidence
of the popular view, and "its truth
would be admitted by no astronomer
who had DEVOTED sufficient attention
to selenography TO enable him to
thoroughly realize the present proba-
BILE condition of the moon"
Such being the case, the hypothe-
sis that the moons green plains de-
rive their color from vegetation
seems not too impossible or absurd.
The evidence is not OF character to
justify apositive assertion that the
mythical man in the moon may pos
sess an atmosphere that mnst be re-
garded as fully capable of sustaining