Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-04
Has the Moon an Atmosphere
Photographic Testimony.

Photography has borne no obscure part In the
development OF the modern science OF aStrono-
my. It's use is now suggested for the purpose
Of determining the chronic question whether
the moon has or has not an atmosphere. Con-
corning this Interesting subject, the Hartford
II our satellite possesses any atmospheric
envelope, it Is known that 1t must De a very
thin, an exceedingly rare and tenuous one A
parer which has been submitted 10 the French
Academy by NJ. Jansen, respecting some
recent advances in the taking OF exact micro
metric measures on the sun in partial ecllpses,
by means OF photography, proceeds beyond the
immediate subject in hand, and shows how
celestial photography can be used.
1t Is known that photographs will show the
granulat10nS or rice markings" on the suns
surface. Where large photograph of par
tlal eclipse is taken, these granulattOnS, says
M Jansen, should extend to the very edge OF
without an atmosphere. II the moon has an
atmosphere these examinations Will become
irregular In shape, and the extent Of their
sity of the lunar atmosphere. Photographs OF
partial eclipses will also enable astronomers to
measure the heights OF mountains situated on
the limb of the satellite. But the most inter-
eStiDg thing TO be determined by the method
here suggested is this still unsettled question
concerning the existence OF a lunar aJmos
phere.
1t is curious fact that astronomy. which
has az certalned the existence OF an atmosphere
and OF clouds and continents and seas also, on
the planet Mars, which is removed from our
world by gulf Of space fifty millions of miles
wide, and even assumed to determine that the
planet Jupiter, 400 millions OF miles away, is
Cloud covered, has never y ct been quite able to
tell us whether our Moon, only 23I, 900 miles
dist ant, has or has not any atmosphere We
Lever see but one side OF our satellite, and With
that SIDE we ought to be, by this time, pretty
well acquainted.
1t seems as If we ought to be able, with the
splendid appliances of modern astronomy, to de-
telmine this question of lunar atmosphere
ard to ascertain absolutely whether the moon
has air, and with 1t water and vegetation las
forests or If it is, as the astronomers believe,
a dead and burnt out cfnder." 1t Is the be-
lief OF Prof. NeWcomb, of the National ObServa-
tory at Washington, that the best view that
has ever been obtained of the moon by tele-
scope, is no better than one which would be
obtained with the naked eye by person STA
toned at point 500 miles from the lunar sur
face.
That does not present the subject iii a very
encouraging view, nor does 1t seem quite to
compOrt with the alleged fact that we can with
the best telescopes plainly see objects on the
neon that are not larger than the Capitol at
Washington. We certainly do see objects not
much larger than that; though, we cannot,
strange to say, quite make out the height and
proportions OF the lunar mountains, nor the
depth Of the back-Shadowed lunar hollows and
craterS. Nor can we be quite sure what the
general surface of the moon is. 1t looks In the
telescope, as much not like over.clean plaster
of-paris as anything-or peeled orange, with
all the lines Of the quarteringS and Sub-Quarter-
tngs radiating from the spot, at the bud and
stem ends, from which they start in the real
orange