St. Landry democrat., 1882-03-18
REMOVAL OF THE MOON.
A Guess at the Course and Consequen-
ces of the Withdrawal from the
Earth.

( aAt the commencement of the history, says
Professor r. S. Ball, the two globes were quite
close; they were revolving rapidly, and the
moon was constantly over the same locality on
the primeval earth. do not know where that
locality was it was probably the part OF the
earth from which the moon mad been detached
NodOubtit was somewhere near the equator, put
the distinction of land and water had not then
ax9sen. Around the primeval earth the moon
lSSBved in three hours; the earth also re-
Eolved i'll three hours. This state or Things
equilibrium. 1t could not last. Either the
moon must fall back again on the earth, and be
reabsorbed into its mass, or the moon husI
commence to move away from the etrti.
Which of these two courses the moon TO
take? The fact that the moon exists shows
that it did not return to the ertil put thitt IlG
It's outward Journey. AS the moon recedes, the
period which it requires for Journey lfouho
the earth increases also initlally tliat psrlou M
was but three hours, and it has Increased UP
until our present month Of 656 hours. Inc TO
taton of the earth has been modified by the
retreat of the moon. Directly the moon began
10 retreat the earth was no longer unaer itil
obligation to keep the same lace thePeto.
When the moon was at u certain distance the
earth made two rotations for every reVolutioil
that the moon made. Still the moon got iufllieI
and further away, until the earth performed
three, four and more rotations Tor each OF the
moons revolutions. Do not infer that the f;tte
OF the earth's rotation was increasing; the
contrary is the fact The earth's rotation was
letting slower, and so was thai or the moon
but the retardation of the moon was hucil
greater than that of the earth, Even though
the rotation OF the earth was much more than
the primitive three hours, yet that OF tlie moon
had increased to several tunes the rotaClon VI
the earth The moon receded still further anu
further and at length noticeable epoch was
reached to which [ must call attentlon. Az
that epoch the moon was SO far out thtit lls
revolution took 20 times as long as the fotatlon
of the earth. The month was then 20 times the
day. The duration of the day was less IMAM
the present "a hours but do not believe 1t was
%;,,,, nrn
is not very remote, perhaps only a few million
years ago The month was then III the zenlln u
its glory The month was never 29 tlnes us
long as the day before 1t will never be " 1iines
as long as the day again. Resuming our hlsto-
ry, we find the moon still continuing 10 fesolSe
iii an overwhelming circle, the length OF tIe
of the day to the month was still undergolng a
change. When the moon was a little 1aftner 7
off the earth only revolving 2S times lnsteaG OF OF
% times in one revolution OF the moon etlll
the velocity of the earth abates until it only
makes u revolutions III one revolution or tne
moon. This is an epoch OF especial interest,", TOE
1t is the present time. In the present order OF
things the moon revolves round the earth once
while the earth rotates 81 times rms mas re-
NAMED sensibly true for thousands OF years,
and no doubt will remain senslbly tr1le ZOE
thousands of wears to came, but it will not re-
main true indefinitely. WondrOus as are the
changes which have occurred i'll times past. not
less wondrous are the changes Whicn are d.9 70
our groupings into the past; they Will continue
TO guide our researches to make forecast OF
the future. Further and further will the moon
retreat, and more and more slowly VIII the
earth revolve. But we shall not pause at IN
tervening stages; we shall try and sketch the
ultimate type to which our system tends. In
the dim future many millions OF years distant
the final stage will be approached. AS TINS
stage draws nigh, the rotation OF the earth Will
again approach to equality with the revolution
of the moon. From the present month OF ~
days we shall pass to a month OF 26 days, OF 70
days, and so on, until eventually we shall reacI
I. month OF two days, and lastly month OF one
day. When this state has been attained the
earth will constantly turn the same region to
ward the moon. I do not know what is the 10
caity on the earth which is destined for TINS
distinction Here you see that the first state
and the last state of the earthmoon history are
IN one sense identical In each case the same
race of the earth is constantly directed toward
the moon. In another way, how different are
tho first stage and the last At the beginning
the day and the month We're both equal, ano
they were each three hours. AT the end the
day and the month will be again equal, but
they will each be 400 hours. The moon vii
then go round the earth in 1,400 hours, while
the earth will rotate on its axis i'll the same
time. In other words, the day is destined il
the very remote future to become us long as
81 of our days. This epoch will assuredly come
If the universe lasts long enough. When IL na'
come it will endure for countless ages. !
would endure for ever 1t the earth and moor
IN. tad ALI aytn