The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-18
Iifs on The HON.

A Delaware astronomer has Just made
an extraordinary discovery on the
moons surface, which is likely to create
q sensation in the scientific world, and.
so to speak, destroy few well-set
theories in regard to that terra incog-
nita. On the 18th of last May the gen.
tleman in question, Mr.. j. q. jackson,
of Hockessin, Del, who has been for
years a close observer of celestial phe-
nomena, found in looking at the new
moon that white mist was floating
over portion of what is known as the
mare crisium, a group of volcanic for
nations well known to astronomers.
To the practiced eye such discovery
could not fail to be exceedingly inter-
esting, in fact, little less than startling.
For an hour Mr. jackson kept his tele-
scope upon the spot, marking out clear
ly large cloud of vapor arising several
hundred feet above the promontorium
agarum, which is at the base of the
mare crisium. Owing to the fact that
the terminator had moved over beyond
the mare crisium, Mr.. jackson was I'M
able to witness the phenomenon on the
following night. He said nothing at
the time, fearing that he might have
made a mistake; but he waited patiently
for the next new moon, which occurred
on June 18th. At this trial he was
baffied on account of the cloudiness OF
the weather. On last Sunday, however,
all of the conditions were favorable,
and he watched eagerly to test the cor
rectness of his original observation.
Sure enough, the feathery mist was
there again, on the westerly edge of the
mare crisiums against the promonto-
rum agarum as he had seen it on May
10. He watched it again until the
moon had gone down in the west, and
was fully confirmed of the extent and
importance of the phenomenon as af-
fecting existing theories regarding the
physical condition of the moon and her
atmosphere. His notion is that this
cloud forms by volcanic action during
the lunar night of every month, and
can only be seen for one particular
evening, at about forty-eight hours af-
ter conjunction (new moon), just as the
rays of the morning sun, in rising over
the mountaiain of the prOmOntOrium
agarum, become sufficient to illuminate
the mist, but not yet intense enough to
dispel or evaporate it. The fact that
the moon is then but a slender crescent,
generally low in the haze of our hori-
ION, seen but an hour or so before set
ting, MIR. jackson thinks must be the
only reason why it has not been often
er witnessed.
The Importance of the discovery con-
sists in that it establishes fair premise
for believing that the theory that the
moon is dead world is incorrect, and
would appear to show, what has for
years been denied by nearly all astron-
omers, that the moon has an atmos-
phere.
On Thursday night last Mr.. Jackson
claims that he made another discovery
in connection with this wonderful
cloud. He distinctly saw at the apex
of the promontorium agarum, above
which the cloud has been seen, three
craters, which have never be-
fore been discovered by astronomers,
and he thinks that the cloud is produc-
ed by the bursting of volcanic fires,
which opened these new craters, thus
further tending to establish the theory
of physical life on the moon. MIR.
says that when the great tele-
scopes of the world are directed to-
ward investigating this startling phe-
nomenon he has no doubt that discov-
cries of incalculable Importance will
be made. which may revolutionize some
of our present theories as to the physi-
cal condition of the earth's satellite.
MIR. Jackson is q most careful and
scholar, and has been an
for nearly half a century,
philadelphia Record.