The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1883-02-10
News from the MoOnii

The telescope has lately revealed
some very curious and startling appear
ances in the moon. Astronomer have
been slow to accept the conclusions,
which these observations suggest, be.
cause they havo so long believed that
the moon is dead planet and incapable
Of supporting any life upon itssuriace.
This belief is based principally upon
the assumed absence Of lunar atmos-
phore. But these recent observations
indicate that the moon has nm atmos-
phere, and, il it has an atmosphere, it
may have varioug forms Of life upon its
surface differing as much from those
upon the earth as tho moon itself differs
from tho earth in its geographical and
Chronological features. It would be
very curious il tho telescope, the instru-
ment which has anished from tho
moon the hosts OF TRANCE creatures
with which the imagination Of some Of
tho ancients peopled and shown how
untitled il is for : habitations Of
beings like oursolvcl md those we sec
around us, should nov make us believe
that the moon is the home of beings
more grotesquo in 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 observations which have
lately been made, and which we shall
briefly describe.
On the 37th of March last, Stanley
Williams, nm English observer, was
looking ut the moon in the carly even
ing with telescope of considerable
power, and giving particular attention
to that very singular oval valley known
to astronomers By tho name OF Z lato.
This valley is about sixty miles broad,
remarkably level, and surrounded by
ring of mountains averaging nothing
less than 1000 feet high, but shooting
up here and there into peaks nearly as
high rs Altna. When the sunlight
strikes across the aummits Of taemount-
aims on one side, it throws the shining
peaks into splendid relief, but all the
valley within remains shrouded in
darkness. Tho sun was just rising upon
this mountain ring when. Mr.. Williams
made his observations of Plato, and
his eye at once detected q strange ap-
pearance. The interior of the valley,
which usually appears totally dark at
such times, was illuminated with n
faint, phosphorescent light, making itq
level floor dimly visible. II was not
the effect OF reflection from the illurhin.
ated mountains, because tho interior Of
the valley was protected from such 70
Election. Some passing clouds in our
atmosphere shut out this interesting
scene from the sight of the observer
for about nm hour. When the sky
cleared again Mr.. Williams looked once
, more and saw that the strange light had
/, disappeared. Mr.. Williams had made
n similar observation. in the same spot,
about FIVE years ugo.
r About seven weeks after Mr.. Will
+ liam's observation which we have de-
scribed, there was total eclipse Of the
sun, and party OF French and Eng
lish astronomers went to Egypt to OBJ
serve it, as the line of totality ran scross
that country. When these astronomers
turned their spectroscopes upon the
edge Of the moon rs it hid tho sun on
, the 18th of May, they perceived indi.
cations, in the strengthening of certain
, lines of the spectrum, OF the existence
of an atmosphere on the moon. This
observation, though not unprecedented,
was hailed with satisfaction by those
who always commended that the moon
was not as dead as it seemed. The ex-
istence Of an atmosphere would explain
the phenomenon which Mr.. Williams
. witnessed in the valley Of Plato, as we'll
40 various other equally singular OBJ
servations which, have been made by
students Of the moon from time to time.
But this was not all. On the 18th
: OF May, two days after the eclipse, John
. G.. Jackson, OF Delaware, while study
, ing the moon, as no had been accus-
i toned TO do for years, with a rejecting
, telescope, was surprised to see near the
western edge Of the disk, and over q
portion of the fiat region known as the
, Sea of Crises, something which he de-
scribed as feathery.looking cloud.
, Just two months later he saw q similar
appearance in the Same place. And
\ now i. Il. Trouvelet, o we'll known
! astronomer, commenting upon Stanley
, Williams observation, says that no has
, more than once witnessed similar APP
, pearanoes upon the moons disk He
has seen lunar landscapes lose their
Z distinctness, as If thin clouds were
!, floating over them, and once, around
/ the crater Of Kant, he saw what may have
(. been a rare vapor, slightly tinged with
q purple. He has also seen another large
! crater illuminated with purple light.
i Mr.. Trouvoiot thinks these various ap-
, pearanoes are manifestation OF lunar
/ atmosphere Of nature yet unknown.
Curious observations OF similar
i nature can be found scattered here and
1 there in astronomical records reaching
1 back more than century, but they
have been generally looked upon with
, distrust or totally disregarded These
4 recent observations give them renewed
interest and tend to yindieate their cor.
recinesa. If Il can be shown that the
+ moon has an atmosphere, Sir William
Herche's idea that our satellite ia in
! hQtoble will mob be deemed so ridicu-
. lous IS Il seemed to some modarn as
o tronomera. We should not expect 70
0 obtain any confirmation q the obserya,
3 tons OF tho German lelescopiat who
I believed ne had discovered q big oily
0 and great military works in the moon,
a but reAsona nigh. be shown Tor think
, ing that the moon supports life peculiar
J 10 itself, The mere possibility II aueh
q thing is some what STARTLING, Tor
. tho moon Ia really avery neer uoiahbor
) 10 the earth. Few perhaps, realize
how close We arc 10 another world ID,
| aides tho earth, but Il Is a very narrow
4 span OF space that separates VI lrom