The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-10-12
Anaerspl1 9laaelliaelleer.
LUNAR LIFE.

LUNARyLIFE.
The GREEN FIELDS DIsCERNABLE IN
THE Moon, AND A New THEORY OF
VEGETATION.
When the moon is at the full, the un-
assisted eye readily distinguishes on her
face certain dark gray spots more or less
sharply separated from the brighter por-
tions. Through the telescope these
spaces appear as broad, level spaces, re-
sembling terrestrial seas. Indeed, the
earlier observers nistook them for seas,
and by that name Latin, mare they are
known tothis 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
sca-beds-to which Nelson applies the
irregular but convenient plural, mares
are seen to have rolling surface, like
some of our Western prairies, or to be
traversed by numerous long ridges, re-
sembling the wave-like sand hills which
give so marked and particular an nappear-
ance to the edeserts of Western Australia
the level portions being dotted with
low mounds interspersed with the crater
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 Humorum and Mare
Chrisum-are walled in completely by
lofty mountains, presenting stupendous
precipices to the vanished sea. Ihe
: large mares are more like ocean-beds.
They run together as terristral oceans do,
and sometimes merge into the brighter
continental regions without a distinct
line of demarkation. In other places
they show rugged 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 Serenitatis. Its
area is nearly :125,000 square. miles.
Within its dark gray border, from thirty
to eighty miles wide, is an extensive
inner plain, which at times presents a
fine, clear, light-green tint, with CEN
trail lstreaks of pure white-the green area
lying lower apparently than the gray in-
terror. The green tint is difficult to
catch, sexcept under favorable conditions,
and is much weakened by the effect OF
numerous small, white, round spots, and
gray ridges. -,
Another of the moons green plains,
was discovered by Madler in the Mare
Humorum, already mentioned. This Is
one of the smallest as we'll as most dis
tinctly-bordered of the dark-gray plains.
It's area is $4,000 miles. The greater
portion of its interior is distinctly tinged
4. dusky-green, sometimes very marked,
affording q strong contrast with the pure
gray of the borders and high inclosing
ridges. On the west, the green area ex-
tends nearly to the edge of the mare but
elsewhere, as in the Mare Serenitatis, it
is separated from the border By a narrow,
dark-gray fringe, except on the north
west, where the gray and green areas
merge insensibly to each other.
Still another area of green is observed
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: lts area
is $4,000 square miles. Its general tint
isga gray mixed with an unmistakable
tinge of green, especially under high illu-r
mination. This verdant hue is seen to
the best advantage for several days before
and after the moon is full.
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 Madfer to suggest that they
would indicate vegetation, were vegeta-
ton possible on the surface of the moon.
But, having accepted Besseps conclusion
that there could be neither air nor water
on the lunar surface, and consequently
no life, those much respected seleno-
graphers could not entertain the hypothe-
sis of lunar vegetation, however strong
the evidence might seem. -,
But Bessel's opinion, as our readers al
ready know, is consistent, not only with
the conditions on which he based his
calculations, but also with the results Of
more recent studies of the state of the
moons surface. So far from being an
airless, waterless, unalterable desert,
changeless mass of dead matter, like so
much volcanic scoria, the moon is not
known to have an atmosphere of consid-
erable volume and density; to present
abundant evidence of physical activity
and change; and to have, in all proba-
bility, 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 rapidly;
but is. still q good way off from the goal
of ultimate, deadness to which so many
astronomers haye theoretically assigned
it. There is not the slightest adequate
evidence, Nelson says, of the popular
view; and ''its truth would be admitted
by no astronomer who had devoted sufi-
cient attention to selenography to enable
him to thoroughly realize the probable
present condition of the moon"
Such being the case, the hypothesis
that the moons green plains derive their
color from vegetation ceases to be impos-
sible or absurd. The evidence is not of
character to justify positive assertion
that the mythical man in the moon may
have abundant pasturage for his cattle;
but his case ceases to be absolutely hope
less when thorough-going selenographer
can say, as Nelson does, that the moon
may possess an atmosphere that must be
regarded as fully capable of sustaining
various forms of vegetation of even an
advanced type that, it does not appear
how it can justly be questioned that the
lunar surface, in favorable positions, may
yet retain a su6iciency of moisture to
support vegetation of many kinds; and
that, in a very considerable portion of
entire surface of the moon, the tempera-
ture wouldsnot vary sufficiently to mate
rally affect the existence of vegetable
life. 3ra Il
Who can tell but that the aforemen=