The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-15
GREEN FIELDS In THE MOON
a LIZZIE worm THAT rs DYING
but Nor IkT DEAD.
Pastures Extending Thousands Of square
Miies-Not an Airies-. Wntcrir~s, tnnt.
terable Desert. rs GencraIIy believed.

when the moon Is NJ the full the unns-
sisted eye readily distinguishes on her face GER
tain DARK gray Spots more or less sharply scla-
rated from the brighter portions Through the
teIescoue these spots appear as btund, level
spaces resembling terrestrial seas. Indeed, the
earlier observers mlstook them for seas, and by
that name CLatin, marc tEcy are known TO this
day. Thew are not seas. however. hut ancient
sea beds, now probably nearly, If not quite,
destitute OF water; vast ard basins like tue
sahara, or TIE great interior Utah basin OF our
own continent.
Examined more closely these dried up set
beds are seen 70 have rolling surface like some
Of our W stern prairies. or to he trdvefsed uy
numerous long Ridges, resembling tho wav lks
sandhills which give so marked and particular
an appearance to the deserts Of western Aus
tralia, the lcvellsr portions being dotted with
low ounds Interpreted with small crater pts.
In many places formations of an apparently
sltuVidl character abound, while the auciU Mt
co-st lines show distinct traces OF water act On
Two " these lunar plains-Mare Hum orum aud
Mare Chrisium-are walled In completely Dy
LOFTY mountains. presenting stupenduus prcci-
pieces to the vanished sea. The larger mdTts are
more like oceln beds. They run together a.
terrestrial oceans DO, aud sometimes merge into
tho brighter continental regions, without
distinct line 81 demarcation. ~ oiher places
they show rugged coast line, rising into cl1s
an peaks, ana pierced at times by valleys and
ruvincs.
one Of the most conspicuous of these lunar
ocean beds, also one of the deepest. ~ known ~
square miles. within its dark gray border, from
thirty to eighty miles wide, IL an extensive inner
plain which at times presents "A fine. clear iight
green tut, with central streak Of pure wnite.
the green area lying lower apparently tuan tho
cray exterior. Inc green tint Is uinicult to
eaten, except under favorable conditions, and H.
mut weakened by the effect Of numerous small
white rouno spol- aud gray ridges.
Another OF the moons green plains was dis
covered by NHdier IN the Mare Humofum. al
reAdy mentioned. 1hIs IL one OF the smallest ~
well rs most distinctly 00gdc'ed "i me Ozark
gray plains. It's area Is D,UD square miles. Ihc
greater portion Of its interior n distinctly hinged
a dussy green, sometimes very marked. Afford
ing a strong contrast with the pure gray Of the
Itukt4. ~
ives the green area extends ne rly to the edge
of me udtt. tut clseWnefe, A. IN the Mare S,fo-
ntadis. 10 Is scparat, d from the border uy "A tar
row. darker kray hinge, except ON the north
west, where the gray aud green areas merge IN
sensihly into each other.
stun another Urea OF green Is observed In the
Mare Ihilsuin, one Of the most conspicuous Of
The moons dark plains, H. II completely en-
closed. and n. perh -, the deepest OF TIE lunar
m1rCs. lts area h 5000 square miles. Its gcu-
efal tint Ii a gray mixed with an unmi-t tknbe
tinge Of green, especially under nigh i.luu ina
ton. This verdant hue is seen to hest advan-
tage for several days before and after the moon
II full
ihc moon-as. for Instance, the darkening OF the
great ring plain OF Plato, with increasing nght
and Ike changes In certain long, winding. lunsr
viilcys-led Beer aud MHdier to suggest that
they would indicate vegetation, were vegetation
possible on he surf ace Of the moon. But having
accepted BesseIs conclusion that there could
be neither air nor water on the lunar Surfa' ~,
and consequently no ne, those much RESI- ectcd
seicnngr4 pners could not entertain the hvpothe-
sis Of lunar egetation, however strong the evi-
ucnce might seem.
Iiut Besseis opinion IA inconsistent not only
with the CONDITIONS on which he based his cal
cuatiuns, but also with the results OF NOR Ic-
cent studies Of the state OF the moons surfa e.
So from being AN airless, wattflcs.. unalter-
able desert a changtless mass of dead matter,
Ike 50 much volcanic scoria. tue moon u now
known g. d tNe AN atm sphere OF considerable
volume and density. TO present abundant cvi-
dcnr' of phNsictl activity and change. and u
/ have in ull probability water enUusn t maze
lIlc easily possible on It's surface. he moon Is
/ dNiug. out very Ear from lad. Bel y SO much
-m iller thAn the tarth ~ has run IT. cour-c
more tapiCly, bu, b. still good way oh from
] that goal OF ultimate Ie ducs- tu which so many
astronomers have theoretical, assigned D..
| there Is not the slightest adequate evidence II
| the popular view and "it- truth would ue All
| mittcd 10y no astronomer who had devoted sui
! 1cicnt attention to >elenOEraphy to enable him
| to thoroughly reHliIe the probable present con-
! dition Of the moon
such being the ease, the hypothesis that the
moons green plains derive their color from vegc-
! tatton seems TO oc impos iolc or absurd. IN
evidence Is not ola character 10 justify positive
assertion that the mythical uau In the moon
may have abundant Ta,turage Tor his cattle
J but his case ccis = In De az splutely hopeless
/ when a tborougn-goiug see nOgraph,r can 81 -,
as Nelson does, hat the mo ga may possess an at
mu-rhcre that must he REG reed ts fIll' G. tpa-
] even au advanced tSpe. that b. do not arrc %
now Il can Ju as be zoe tiHnrd t4at III" L..iIi
surface ia faVor4ble positions NAV yet retain a
! suficicucy Of moisture 20 support vegetation Of
/ many kind ana that, - a very Considerable
portion u tue entire surface OF The moon, the
temperature would not vary sufficiently TO md-
terially affect the existence Of vegetable life.