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


The Green Fields of the Noon. =
From the Scientific American -
OWhen the moon is at the full. the
unassisted eye readily distinguishes
On her face certain dark gray spots
more or less sharply separated from
the brighter portions. Through the
telescope these spots appear as broad,
level spaces resembling terrestrial
seas. indeed, the earlier observers
mistooh them for seas, and by that
name (Latin, mare) they arc 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
up sea-beds are seen to have Il rolling
surface like some of our western prai-
ries, Or to be traversed by numerous
long ridges, resembling the wave-like
sand-hills which give so marked and
particular an appearance to the deserts
of western Australia. the leveler ror-
lions being dotted with low mounds,
interspersed with small crater pits
In many places formation of an appar.
emily alluVial character abound, while
the ancient coast lines show distinct
traces of water action. Two of these
lunar plains-Mare Humorum and Mare
Chrisium-are walled in completely by
lofty mountains. presenting stupen~
dous precipices to the vanished sea.
The larger mares are more like ocean
Ir 4l,o,, 4ov ,:,1
oceans do, and sometimes merge into
the brighter continental regions, with
out distinct line Of denarkation. In
other places they show a rugged coast
line, rising into cliffs and peaks, and
pierced by valleys and ravines,
One Of the most conspicuous Of these
lunar beds, also one of the deepest, is
known as the Mare Serenitatis. It's
area is nearly $4,000 square miles.
Within it's dark gray border, from 80
to so miles wide, is all extensive inner
plain which &C times o fine, clear,
light green tint, with a central streak
OF pure white, the green area lying
lower apparently than the green exte-
riOr. The green tint is difficult to
catch, except under favorable con.
ditions, and is much weakened by the
effect of numerous small white round
spots and gray ridges.
Another OF theumoon's green plains
was discovered by Midi er,. ia the Mare
Humorum, already mentioned. n This
is one of the smallest as well as most
distinctly bordered Of the dark gray
plains. It's area is $4,000 square miles.
The greater portion of its interior is
distinctly tingcd q dusky green, some
times very marked, affording q strong
contrast with the pure gray of the
borders and high-enclosing ridges. On
the west the green area extends nearly
to the edge Of the mare, but else
where, as in the Mare Serenitatus, it
is separated from the border by a mar
row, darker gray fringe, except on the
northwest, where the gray and green
areas merge 1nsensibly into each
eother.S ..::&3.s.g, ,,s5s-.z.j
Still another area of green is OBJ
served in the Mare Chrisium, one of
the most conspicuous of the moons
dark plains. It is completely inclosed,
and is, perhaps, the deepest of the
lunar mares. It's area is $4,000 square
miles. Its general tint is gray
mixed with an unmistakable tinge OF
green, especially under high illumina.
ton. This verdant hue is seen to best
advantage for several days before and
after the moon is5full. -: -, =
These and other color changes on
the face Of the moon-as, for instance,
the darkening of the great ring plain
of Plato with increasing light, and like
changes in certain long winding lunar
valleys-led Beer and Maldler to ~sug-
gest that they would indicate vegeta-
tion,, were vegetation possible on the
face Of the moon But, having accept
ed Bessel's conclusion that there can
be neither ali, nor water on the lunar
surface, and consequently no life, those
much-respected selenographers could
not entertain the hypothesis Of lunar
vegetation, however strong the eyi-
dence might seem. = - - ;
But Bessel's opinion is inconsistent
he based his calculations, but also with
the results of more recent studies of
the conditions of the moons surface.
So far from being an airless, waterless,
unalterable desert, a changeless mass
of dead matter like so much volcanic
scoria. The moon is now known to
have an atmospherenof. considerable
volume and density, to present album
dant evidence of physical activity and
change, and to have in all probability
5watee enough tomake life easily pos.
sible On It's surface. The moon is dy-
ing, but very far from dead. Being