Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-09-21

A few weeks ago an important ad
dress was given in London by Sn
Robert Ball, the Astronomer Royal
of Ireland, about the moon. In its
course he made known the most re,
cent conclusions of astronomers as
to themoon's composition, its cIimat-
lie conditions and the probability OF
its being inhabited
As our nearest neighbOr in the so
lar system, the mOOnmust always be
an object of peculiar interest and o.
ardent investigation to the jewellers
upon the earth. So much nearer Is
it than either OF the planets, that we
learn more about it, and observe its
/ physical features more infinitely.
We know that the moons diameter
( IS only One-fOurth of that of Om
/ globe; that it is only 100000 miles
/ distant from us; that if the moon
should disappear from its orbit as
satellite, a most important physical
change on the earth, the cessation o.
tides, would take place; and that in
bulk the moon IS eighty times less
heavy than the earth.
We can discern, through powerful
telescopes, the general formation OF
that half of the moons surface which
is turned toward US. We are told
that there are visible two craters o.
volcanoes, sixty miles wide; another,
10000 feet deep; that one mighty
peak rises to a height Of 900 feet;
Z oT.gI ~ IN,
600 feet deep and over fifty miles
wide
1t has long been a warmly debated
question among astronomers whether
it is possible that the moon would
support vegetation and animal and
human life. But a general agreement
has now been reached by them that
the moon is much older than the
earth: that it is ''as dead as a door
nail;" that it has neither atmosphere,
air nor water, that, in short, it is
nothing else but a ball of extinct
volcanic matter, lighted only by the
rays Of the distant sun"
No fires ever issue from the great
volcanoes which are apparent on its
surface; tbs huge hOIlOWed-Out craters
emit no smoke. A vast and eternal
silence reigns through all the dreaTy
treeless, Gteiess eXpanse.
The moon, indeed, lis apparently
abandoned to death, nOurishing no
inhabitants, producing nothing re
sem bling trees; flowers or beautiful
things Of any kind; unless, in short;
except, as q mass of extinct volcanic
rubbish, which drags the sea into
tides, and reflects the sunbeams in
moonlight; but Whirls like a corpse
IN cerementS OF silver-clOth and black
velvet, round and round the earth. :"
The astronomers have carefully con
structed a geography Of the moon,
and have mapped out its regions,
and given names to it's various fea-
lures. For instance, they have called
some Of the mountains OF the
moon "COpernicus, " ''POsidOnius, -
"Clavias, . after earthly philosophers;
others they have christened by the
name Of the famous peaks of the
earth; and the dreary valleys and
Waterless bays and lakes have re
ceived fanciful but inOppOsite names,
such as the Bay Of Clouds, +" the
Lake of Nectar,'' and the Gulf of
RainbOws."
X ID eCuDGltL1y c4CCOA O4ALl3 ~ OH
Robert Ball, if any increase of the
magnifying powers of telescopes viii
add any further definite knowledge
to that which has already been ac-
quired about the moon. He believes
that when the moon is brought by
great lenses to within fifty instead
OF, as now, 25O) miles of the earth,
as it probably viii be in the near
Ir
observation viii be mainly valuable
as confirming thecOnclusiOnsa already
arrived at.-YOuth's Companion.