Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-15
Is TEE MOON INHABITED.
Something about our Possible NcIgh-
bOrs,

IL hhtL MUM INhA bIIED.
Something about our Possible Ncigh-
bors.
The telescope has lately revealed some
very curious and startling appearances in
the moon, says writer in the New York
San. Astronomers have been slow to ac-
cept the conclusions which these observa-
tions suggest, because they have so long
believed that the moon is dead planet
and incapable of supporting any life up
on its surface. This belief is based prin-
cipally upon the assumed absence of
lunar atmosphere. But these recent OBJ
servations indicate that the moon has an
atmosphere, and, if it has an atmosphere,
it may have various forms of life upon
its surface differing as much from those
upon the earth as the moon itself differs
from the earth i'll its geological and clima-
Agical features.
- 1t would be very curious if the teles-
cope. the instrument which has banished
from the moon the hosts of strange crea-
lures with which the imagination of some
Of the ancients peopled it, and shown
how untitled it is for the habitation of
beings like ourselves and those we see
around us, should now make us believe
that the moon is the home of beings more
grotesque i'll our eyes, perhaps, than any
the imagination has pictured We do
not say this is probable, but only that it
is suggested by the very interesting OBJ
servations which have lately been made,
and which we shall briefly describe. On
the 9th OF March last Mr.. Stanley Will
liams, an English observer, was looking
at the moor i'll the early evening with
telescope of considerable power, and CIV
ing particular attention to that very sim
gular oval valley known to astronomer RS
by the name Of Plato. This valley, is
about sixty miles broad, remarkably level,
and surrounded by ring of mountains
averaging something less than 1000 feet
high, but shooting up here and there into
peaks nearly as high rs Etnn.
When the sunlight strikes across ihe
submits OF the mountains on one side it
throws the shining peaks into splendid
relief, but all the valley within remains
shrouded in darkness. The sun was lust
rising upon tins mountain ring when Mr..
Williams made his observation OF Plato
and his eye at once detected strange ap-
pearance The interior of the valley,
which usually appears totally dark at
such times, was illuminated with faint
phosphorescent light, making its level
floor dimly visible 1t was not the efiec ct
OF reflection from the illuminated noun
tains, because the interior of the valley
was protected from such reflection. Some
passing clouds in our atmosphere shut
out this interesting scene from the sight
of the observer for about an hour. When
the sky cleared again Mr.. Williams look
ed once more, and saw that the strange
light had disappeared. Mr.. Williams had
made similar observation, in the same
spot, about five years ago.
About seven weeks after Mr.. Williams 8
observation which We have described,
there was total eclipse of the sun, and
party of French and English astrono-
mers went to Egypt to observe it, as the
line OF totality ran across that country.
When these astronomers turned their
spectroscopes upon the edge of the moon
us it hid the sun on the 18th of MAY the Y
perceived indications, i'll the sti engthen.
ing of certain lines of the spectrum, OF
the existence OF an atmosphere ON the
moon. This observation, though not un
precedented, was hailed with satisfaction
by those who had always contended thai
the moon was not as dead Ms it seemed
The existence OF an atmosphere woult
explain the phenomenon which Mr.. vii
liams witnessed in the valley of Plato, n
well as various other equally singular oh
servations which have been made by stu
dents of the moon from time to time.
But this was not ALL On the 10Th o
May, two days after the eclipse, John G
jackson, of Delaware, while studying tn
moon, as he had been accustomed to d
for years, with a rejecting telescope, wa
surprised to see near the western edge o
the disk, and over portion of the fla
region known as the Sea of Crises, some
thing which he described as feathery
looking cloud. just two months later h
saw similar appearance i'll the sam
place. And now Mr.. l.. T.. Trouvelot.
well known astronomer, commenting upo
Stanley Willams's observation, says thi
he has more than once witnessed smila
appearances upon the moons disk. II
has seen lunar landscapes lose their di
tinctness as if thin clouds We're hoattn
over them, and once, around the crater
Kant, he saw what may have been ral
vapor slightly tinged with purple. Il
has also seen another large crater illun
mated with faint purple light. NJ
Trouvelot thinks these various appea
ances are manifestations Of II lunar a
mosphere of nature yet unknown.
Curious observations Of similar m
tuIe Gull Dt btutttltAt ltiitt WV
in astronomical records reaching bat
more than a century, but they have ge
orally been looked upon with distrust
totally disregarded. These recent o
servations give them renewedinterest Al
tend to vindicate their correctness. If
can be shown that the moon has an Q
mosphere, Sir William Herschel's id
that our satellite is inhabtable will II
be deemed 30 ridiculous as it has seem
to some modern astronomers. We shou
not expect to obtain any confirmation
the observations of the German telesco
ist who believed he had discovered /
city and great military works in the moo
but reasons might be shown for thinki
that the moon supports life peculiar
itself
The mere possibility of such thing
somewhat startling, for the moon is re
Iva very near neighbor to the earth. Fe
perhaps, realize how close We are to