The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-01
Tie Green Fields of the Moon.

llllassis1eu eye readily distinguishes
en- her face certain dark gray spots
more or less sharply separated tGoln
the 81 Fighter portions. Through the
telescope these spots appear as broad,
level spaces resembling terrestrial
seas. iNut ~,l, the earlier observers
nistUo1z thv:n for seas. and by that
name {l,ati:,. n.are} they are known to
this dry. 'Ihcy are not seas, 2oWeveG,
but ancient sea-tcds, now probably
nearly. il not gate destitute of water;
vast arid :,sins like the Sahara. OF the
great interior | tab basin OF our own
country.
Examined more closely, these dried
UP sea-bet(S; aye seen to have " rolling
surface Xix" some Of QUE western Dral~
ries, OF. to he traVerse.i by numerous
long ridges. resembling the Navc-like
sand-hi!ls which give SO marked and
particular III appearance tOtAe deserts
of western australia. the leVeleI POI
tons being; dotted! with low mounds,
inteTs,,+rS>.:: with S;1llall crater pits.
In MANY N1:.res Iul lnaticn Of an apl>ar.
emily alluvl;;:1 character abound. While
the ulirit,l: coast lines SHOW distinct
traces OF waite? action. Two Of these
lUnuI Nluin5-Murc i!l,mO:uiu ANA Mare
Chrisiln}-arc W;ll2t; in completely 10y
lofty mountains. presenting stUpe1l~
douS pr"cipices to the vanished :;t;l.
The larger mares ;;rc more like ocean
beds. They rin together as terrestrial
oceans 10. and sometimes merge into
the brighter continental regions, with
out distinct line Of denllrkatlnn. IL
other places they show 4 rugged coast
line, rising into cliffs and peaks, ans!
pierced by valleys and ravi]les.
One Of he most co1l&pici'Vl;<; CT Tics"
lunar beds also oll, Of The deepest, =,
knoWn as TIE Mare >erynitati3. It,;
area is nearly l-23.'HA} square ln:irs.
Within its dark gray border, from 80
10 ST. ,nilvs; wide, is AL extensive inner
plain Wl!jv!, T times & fine: clear,
light green int. with u central stlca?1
OF pure white. DE green area lying
lower apparently t;i"2l tic green eHtc-
riOr. The green tint is difficult to
catch, except under favorable con-
ditions, and is much weakened Icy the
effect OF numerous small white round
spots and gray ridges.
Another OF the moons green plains
was discovered Ivy Nad!er in the Mare
Humornn1. already mentioned. This
is one Of the smallest as well as most
distinctly EoE<!ered OF the dark Gr;ly
plains. Its area is So, 0t)0 sG,aremiles.
The gre"t&r portion CT its Interior is
distinctly tingtd :: tl1Eslzy green, some.
times very marked, affording d strong
contrast with the pure gray of the
borders and lig:l-enclosing ridges. On
the west the green area extends nearly
CIf ~ 1n lint ole
where. as in the Mare Sercnitatus, il
is separated from the border liy q mar
row, darker gray fringe, except on the
northwest, where the gray and greer
areas merge insensibly into eacl
other.
Still another area of green is Oh
served in the Mare Chrisiun, one 0:
the most conspicuous Of the moons
dark plains. It is completely inclosed
and is, perhaps, the deepest Of tAs
lunar mares. Its area is $1,000 square
miles. It's general tint is a gra,
mixed with an urlnistakuhlc tinSe O.
green, especially under high illumina
ton. This verdant hue is seen to bes
advantage for several days before allt
after the moon is full.
These and other color changes OF
the face OF the nlO0n-;s, for instance
the darkening of the great ring plail
of Plato with increasing light. and llk
changes in certain long winding luna
valleys-led Beer and Maldler to sug
gest that they would indicate veget;
ton, were vegetation possible on tn
face of the moon But, having accept
ed Bessol's conclusion that there ca
be neither aiI nor water on the luna
surface, and consequently no life, thos
much-respected selenographers corl
not entertain the hypothesis Of luna
vegetation, however strong the ev
dence might see1n'.
But Bessel's opinion is inconsistan
not only with the conditions Oh whic
he based his calculations, but also wit
the results of more recent studies {
the conditions of the moons surface
So far from being an airless, waterles
unalterable desert, a changeless ma
of dead matter like SO much volcan
scoria. The moon is now known
. have an atmosphere of considerab
volume and density, to present abu
dant evidence of physical activity al
change, and to have in all probabilit
water enough to make life easily pc
sible on it's surface. The moon is d
inc, but very far from dead. Beil