Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-05
WHAT. IS THE MOONS SHAPE?

Is it an Ellipsoid, Egg Shaped, or Round Like
Ball?
From the Rochester Democrat.
The moon, perhaps, presents a greater
number of perplexing problems than any
other member of the solar system. Al
though nearer to the earth than any other
OF the celestial bodies, but very little is
actually known concerning our satellite
The whole theory Of the moon, so labori-
ously worked out, years ago, is found to
to be at fault, and Hansen's tables are I'M
reliable. There is deviation in the
moons mean motion that cannot be ac-
counted for.
The phenomena OF the moons surface
have been carefully studied for years; but
the causes of the remarkable physical
conformations can be but dimly conjec-
tured. The moons true form is the most
difficult problem of all. The moon al
ways presents one face to the earth; but
even this fact IS puzzle. It is EXP lain-
ed that the moons axis points toward the
center OF the earth, and the moon makes
single rotation during revolution
about the earth, thus always presenting
one side of the earth.
The plane Of the moons orbit is cont1n-
ually shifting, but this shifting does not
change to any extent the relative position
of the moon to the earth. The earth has
a grasp upon her satellite that will not
permit any shifting of position, except
swinging motion of the mass nearest the
earth, like that of Il pendulum. It has
been abundantly shown by Newton that
if the moon were a sphere the earth could
have no such grasp. The conclusion is
inevitable that the moon is not sphere.
The exact shape is still question of
doubt. Lagrange insists that it is an ell
lpsoid, with the longer axis pointing to
the center Of the earth. The extent of
the elongation is a question yet to be set
tied. 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 demon
strated that the moon more nearly resem-
bles an egg than it does ball. Ruther
lords stereoscoplc photographs demons
trate it, and the known laws of motion
bear out the theory. Photography will
probably be the only means of demons
tratlon, and this will be doubted by
those who believe the revelations of the
stereoscope are an optical illusion.
Ruthertords stereoscop1c views plainly
show that the moon is shaped like an egg,
with the small end towards the earth. In
the stereoscope the extreme point, or To-
cality nearest the earth, is not far from
the great crater of Copernicus. From
this high point the surface does not re-
treat as in sphere. There is rounding
away to certain point, and then the
distance retreats on a line that is nearly
straight. The planet is so tilted by lib
Grafton that the observer can see the true
perspective and torshortening of objects
on the surface. The phenomenon could
be observed in a telescope of large aper
tuie with power of fifty diamcters.
The slow rotation of the moon and it's
recent plastic condition explain its shape.
Inc moon revolves on her axis in the
same time that she revolves about the
earth, or in 20 days, 10 hours and a
minutes nearly. This motion is exceed
Ing slow-so slow that even at the
equator the centrifugal force is
very slight. In bodies like Jupiter,
which revolve with great rapidity
the equatorial regions bulge out by
centrifugal force, while there is con-
traction at the poles. In the moon this
action is reversed. When the moon was
molten the centritical force at the equator
was SO slight that there was no bullying,
but the earth's attraction drew out the
mass, frightening it in the direction of
the polar axis, and keeping the axis for
ever directed toward the earth's center.
Rutherford has waited and watched for
opPortu mites to photograph the moon in
such positions as would give the stereos-
xoplc effect. LIBERATION changed the
moons face sufficiently to give this effect,
as will be observed by consulting the
photographs, Of the views of the first
quarter, one was obtained March 6, 1865.
tie then waited six years for libration and
suitable opportunity to get another view
that would give the proper effect. Be-
tween the two views of the last quarter
there is an interval Of ,,norI1,