The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-25

not change to any extent the relative po-
sition of the moon to the earth. The earth
has grasp upon her satellite that will
not permit any shifting of position, ex-
cept swinging motion of the mass near
est the earth, like that of pendulum. 1t
has been abundantly shown by Newton
that if the moon We're sphere the earth
could have no such grasp. The conclus-
ion is inevitable that the moon is not
sphere. The exact shape is still ques-
ton of doubt. Lagrange insists that it
is an ellipsoid, with the longer axis point
ing to the center of the earth. The ex-
tent of the elongation is question yet to
be settled. Prof. Richard A. Proctor in
his work on the moon says:
However, it need hardly be said that
no instrumental means at present in our
possession could show the ellipticity' of
the lunar disc" Notwithstanding the
assumption of Prof. Proctor, we believe
that it can be demonstrated that the
m on more nearly resembles an egg than
it does ball. Rutherford's stereOscopic
photographs demonstrate it, and the
known lawsof motion bear out the theory.
Photography will probably be the only
means of demonstration, and this will be
doubted by those who believe the revela-
tions OF the stereoscope are an optical
illusion.
Rutherford's storeoscopic views plainly
show that the moon is shaped like an egg,
with the small end toward the earth. In
the sterescope the extreme point, or To-
cality nearest the earth, is not far from
the great crater eff Copernirus. From
this high point the surface does not re-
treat in sphere, There is rounding
away to certain point, and then the dis
tance retreats on line that is nearly
straight. The plane is so tilted by libra
ton that the observer can see the true
perspective and foreShortcning of objects
on the surface. The phenomenon could
be observed in telescope of large aper-
ture with power of fifty diameters.
The slow rotation of the moon and it's
recent plastic condition explain its shape
The moon revOlves on her axis in the same
time thatshe revolves about the earth, Oh
in twenty-nine days, twelve hours and
forty-four minutes nearly. This motion
is exceeding slow-so slow that even at
the equator the centrifugal force is very
slight. In bodies like Jupiter, which re-
volve with great rapidity, the equatorial
regions bulge out by centrifugal force,
while there is a contraction at the poles.
In the moon this action is reversed.
When the moon was molten the centri-
fugal force at the equator was so slight
that there was no bulging, but the earth's S
attraction drew out the mass, lengthening
it in the direction Of the polar axis, and
keeping the axis forever directed towards
the earth's center. Rutherford has
waited and watched for opportunities to
photograph the moon in such positions
as would give the sereoscopic effect. Ii
bration changed the moons face suffi-
GENTLY to give this effect, as will be OBJ
served by consulting the photographs. Of
the views of the first quarter, one was OBJ
tained March 6, 1865. He then waited
six years for libration and suitable op-
portunity to get another view that would
give the proper effect. Between the two
views of the last quarter there is an in
terval of nearly six months.