New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-15
The Greep Fields Of the Moon.

"A. II.
The Green Fields Of the Moon.
when the moon is at the full, the uuas
siste eye readily distinguishes on her fac,
certain dark gray spots, more or les
sharply separated from the brighter pOr
tions. Through the telescope these epotl
appear as broad level spaces, resembling
terrestrial seas. Indeed, the earlier OBJ
servers mistO,k them for seas, and BY tina,
name Latin, ntare) they are known to this
day. They are not seas, however, but an
Gent sea beds. row probably nearly, if no,
quite, d. s;itute OF wAter-vast arid basinl
like the Sahara, or the great interior Utah
basin of our own continent.
Examined more closely, these dried-up
sea beds-to which Nelson applies the IT.
regular but convenient plural mares-are
seen to have rolling surface like some @;
our Western prairies, or to be traversed by
numerous long ridges, resembling the wave
like sand bills which gave go marked and
peculiar an appearance to the deserts OF
Western Australia, the leveler portions be-
ing dotted with low mounds interspersed
with small crater pits. In many places
formations Of m apparently alluvial char.
acter abound, while the ancient coas. lines
show distinct traces of water action. Two
OF these lunar plains-WMe Hum0s.uDl and
Mare Chrisium-are walled in completely
by lofty mountains, presenting stupendous
precipices to the vanished sea. The larger
mares are more like ocean beds. They ron
together a. terrestrial oceans do, and some
times merge into the brighter continental
regions, without distinct line OF demarca-
tim. In other places they show . rugged
coast line, rising into cliffs and peaks, and
pierced by valleys and rsvines.
One OF the most conspicuous of these
lunar ocean beds. also one of the deepest,
is known ss the Mare Serenitahs Its area
is nearly l25, 900 square miles. Within it's
dark gray border, from thirty to eighty
miles wide, 10 an exter s We inner plaiD,
which at times presents fine clear light
green tint, with . central streak of pure
white, the green area lying lower apps
rently than the gray exterior. The green
tint il difficult to catch, except under favor
eble conditions, and is much weakened BY
the effect of Numerous email white round
spots and gray ridges.
Another Of the moons green plains was
discovered BY Nader in the Mare Rumo-
rum, already mentioned. This 10 one of
the smallest as we'll - most delicately Dor
dered of the dark gray plains. lie area is
~, 600 square miles. Tho greater portion
of it's interior 10 distinctly tinged with .
d1sky green, sometimes very marked,
affording strong contrast with the pure
ridges. On the west the green area ex-
tends nearly to the edge Of the mare, but
~ in the Hare Sere,.itatis. it il
separated from the border by q narrow.
darker gray fringe, except on the north
west, where the gray and green areas merge
nsensibly into each other.
Still another area Of green is observed in |
he Mare Chrisium. one Of the most con. /
.picuOus OF the moons dark plains. IL is
eepest OF the lunar mares. Its area in |
{, 0O0 square miles. Its general tint is q
ray, mixed with an mlsiakable tinee OF
reen. especially under high illumin alton.
bis Vercant hue ID seen to best advantage |
" several days before and after the moon is
Ill. These and other color chan ges on the
ice OF the mOOn-as, for instance. rhe dark.
ming OF the great ring plain of Plato with
IcreasiDg light. and like changes in certain
ing winding lunar valleys-led Beer and
adler to suggest that they would indicate
sgetatIon, were vegetarian possib BILE on the
lrface OF the moon. But having accepted
esssls conclusion that there could te
'lther slr nor water on the lunar sur face.
ID cOnst quently no life. those much re-
ectedi photographers could not entertain ..
g hypothesis OF lunar vegetation, how
er strong the evidence might seem.
But Bessel's opinions, as our readers al.
ady know, ls inconsistent not only with .
e conditions on which he based his caIcu-
tons, but also with the results of more
cent stndies of the state of the moons
rface. So far from being an airlese,
sterless, unalterable desert, . chapgelese
1ss OF dead matter, Ike 90 much volcanic ,
,rla, the moon is now known to have an =
nosphere OF considerable volume and
nsity, to present abundant evidence Of
ysicdI activity and change, and to have =
all prob ability water enough to make
J easily possible on it's surface.
ne moon ls dying. but very far from I
I'd. Being SO much smaller than the -
tn. 1t has run it's course more rapidly.
is still q good way off from that goal Of :
innate deafness to which go many astron.
ers have theoretically assigned it. There =
not the slightest adequate evidence, .
son says, OF the popular view, and tits 8
ID would be admitted by no astronomer
o had devoted sufficient attention To
geography to enable him to thoroughly "
lize the probable present condition of T
moon
UGH being the case, the hypothesis tina.
moons green plains derive their color :
u vegetation ceases to be impossible or :.
urd. The evidence is not OF character :,
nstify positive assertion that the my !,
al man In the moon may have abundant -
|
q absolutely hopeless When thorough y,
'g photographer can cay, as Nelson y
:, that the moon may possess an atmos-
re that must be regarded as fully capa-
OF sustaining various forms of vegeta- r
OF even an advanced type: that it does =
appear how it can justly be questioned n,
the lunar surface in favorable posi- A'
8 may yet retain sufficiency to n1
port vegetation of many kinds: and that y
very considerable portion of the entire q;
ace OF the moon, the temperature would g.
vary sufficiently to materially affect the -
tence of vegetable life. -,
no can tell but that the aforementioned o''
IN the moon may not follow the plan of on
African tribe which Livingstone tells of, W "
keep himself aud his cattle in extensive W
II caverns, where the temperature is ~,
orm and water abundant; driving them 3,
upon these green fields for fortnight. ~
ed when the sun is up for its long DAYS az
the grass in good condition! Jules Verne gu
IT not to neglect 80 inviting q field of -,
Scientific american. "a
ST.
Death Of q Centenariau, tel
9 Pail Mall Gazette sage: There has sit
died in Paris an aged lady, commonly