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

ECETtTiUS.
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-
tons. Through the telescope these
spaces appear rs broad, lcyel spaces, re-
Senbling terrestrial. seas. Indeed, the
earlier observers igistook them for seas,
and by that name (Ea.tin, mare they are
known to this day. They nrs not seas,
however but ancient sea beds, rrOw
probably nearly, if not quite, destitute OF
water; vasl arid basins, like the Sahara,
or the great interior Utah basin of our
OWN country.
Examined more closely, these dried up
sel-bcds--to which Nelson applies the
Irregular but convenient plural, mares
are seen to have n rolling surface, like
some Of oar Western prairies, or to be
triversed by numerous long ridges, re-
srmbling the Wavc-likc sand hills which
ancc to the deserts of Western Australia
the level portions being dotted with
low mounds intcrspcrscd with the cyater.
pits. In many places, formations of an
apparently alluvial character abound
traces of watcr-action Two of these
lunar plains Mare Humorun and Mare
Chrisum are walled in completely by
lofty mountains, prcscr ing stupcndous
precipices to the van cd sea. The
: i; .gc mdrcc are more ike ocean beds.
They ruin together rs tcrristral oceans do,
and sometimes merge into the brighter
continental regions without q distinct
line Of demarkation. In other places
they show a rugged coist-l line, rising into
ellis and peaks, aud pierced at times by
valleys and ravincs.
One of the most conspicuous Of these
lunar occan-bcds. also one of the deepest,
is known 80 til" Mare Scrcnitats Its
area is nearly l25.O00 square miles.
Withiu its dark gray border, from thirty
TO eighty miles wide, is III extensive
inner plain, which ut times presents n
fine, Gear, light-green tint Will, cen
trail streaks of pure whitc--thc green area
lying lower apparently than the gray in
terror The green tint is difficult to
catch, except under favorable conditions,
and is much weakened by the effect OF
numei. Is small, white, round spots, and
gray ridges.
Another of the moons green plains
was discovered by Madler in tho Mare
lIumorunl, already mentioned This is
one of the smallest US we'll IS most dis.
tinctly-bordcrcd Of the dark-gray plains.
Its area IL $4,000 miles. The greater
portion OF its interior is distinctly tingcd
dusky-greeD, sometimes very marked,
tf0rding strong contrast with the pure
gray of the borders aud high inclosing
ridges. On the west, the green area cx-
tends nearly to the edge of the mare but
elsewhere, as in tho Mare Scrcnitatis, it
is separated from the border by narrow,
dark-grny fringe, except on the north
west, where the gray and green areas
merge inscnsibiy to each other.
Still another area of green is observed
In the Mare Chrisium, one Of the most
conspicuous of the moons dark plains.
1t is completely inclosed, and is, perhaps,
the deepest Of the lunar mars. Its area
is $4,000 square miles. It's general tint
isya gray mixed with an nnmistakable
tipge of fgreen, especially under high illu-
minntion. This verdant hue is seen to
the best advantage for several days before
Ind after the moon is full.
These and other color-changes OH tho
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 Muller to suggest that they
would inuicate vegetation, vero yegeta-
tion possible on the surface OF the moon.
But, having accepted Bessels conclusion
that there could be neither air nor water
on the lunar surface, and consequently
no life, those much respected seeno-
graphers could not entertain the hypothc.
sis of lunar vegetation, however strong
the pvJfInnca nninht anntn
But Bessel's opinion, as onr readers al
ready know. is consistent, not only with
tho 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 M
nirless, waterless, unalterable desert, a
changeleas mass of dead matter, like SO
much volcanic scoria, the moon is not
known to have an atmosphere of consid-
erable volume ard density 10 present
abundant evidence of physical ,ctivity
and change; and to have, in all prche-
bility, water enough to make life easily
possible on it's 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 @ good way off from the goal
of altimateg dsadncss 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 sufii-
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
n character to justify positive assertion
that the mythical man in the moon may
have abundant pasturago for his cutie;
but his case ceases to be absolutely hope
less when a thorough going gselenographer
can say, rs Nelson does, that the moon
may possess an atmosphere that must be
regarded rs fully capable of sustaining
various forms of vegetation of even an
advanced type thatSits does not appear
how it can Justly be questioned that the
lunar surface, in favorable positions, may
yet retain q sufficiency of moisture to
support vegetation of many kinds; and
that in "a very. considerable portion of
entire surface of the moon, the tempera-
ture would not vary sufficiently to mate
rally affect the existence Of vegetable
life Is 155ef9E
Who eean tell but that'theaforemen
toned man in the moon may not follow
the plan of the African tribe which I.iv-
ingstone tells of, and keep himself and
his cattle in extensive lunar caverns,
where the temperature is uniform aud
water abundant, driving them forth upon
these fialfia- f.,r a