Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25
FACTS ABOUT THE MOON.
Prof. Young Skaters Some Popular Su
perstitions.

Prof. Young Skaters Some Popular SUI.
perstitions.
Prof. c. A Young gave an interesting lecture
on the moon, says the New York Times, in ths
astronomical course, which is being conducted
under the auspices of the University Extension
at Cooper Union. The audience was attentive
throughout the professor rapid summary Of
the peculiaritIes Of our satellite and looked
with interest on the views of the moons sur
face, produced from raised maps photographed
and used as stereopticon slides
The moon, in the first place, has nothing
whatever to do, the lecturer said, with the
changes in our weather. He had known some
farmers in the west who would never plant
100: crop" except on the wsne of the moon,
while a growing-up crop, like wheat or other
grain, he would always insist on planting when
the moon was waxing. These notions as well
as those held by some sea captains. that the
wind would blow for a week from the quarter
In which the change of the neon took place,
were, he declared, without the slightest fonda-
ton
The moon was an insignificant body in her
SELF II was her proximity 10 the earth that
gave ner astronomical importance. At the
same time her position was uniaus among
satellites She was by far the largest in pro-
portion TO her planet OF twenty or more satel-
the weight Of the earth, while no other satellite
exceeded one one-thousandth OF the weight Of
its planet
In the peculiar motions taken BY the moon
there were certain clements which. the profess
SCR said the law Of gravitatiou might not fully
account for. Astronomy would one day reach
the limit OF accurate provision and would reach
the field where such elements of uncertainty
would creep in as the effect of the human Will
Speaking with exactitude. for instance a man
could not build a tall building on the surface of
the earth without frightening the day by the
change in the position of matter involved.
Such changes as this when accumulated through
long periods must produce effects that would
make the astronomical problem q very difficult
one-in fact, an incompatible one-some day.
The heat that the moon sends had been meas
ured, he said, and found to be l-l60, 0O0 Of that
sent By the sun, while the light was l-60o. 600 OF
the SUI hight The earth shine" il We could
observe IL from the surface of the moon, was
fourteen times as brilliant that We now saw
from the moon. and from a surface that was
about four tunes as large as the full moon ex-
posed to Us. This brilliant light was reflected
back from the moon to US slightly. rendering
DIST visible that part Of the moon in the shadow
AZ the time Of the new moon.
The moon. said the professor. had no
atmosphere 20 speak Of. It's surface as shown
by the slides was a mass of circular volcanic
craters OF peculiar formation, but rent BY mys-
FERROUS assures which started from the crater
OF Tycho in all directions like the streaks on the
skin OF an apple. these assures were about
hall mile IN width, and extended into tbs
body OF the moon nobody knows how far. They
cut through craters and mountain chains in
straight lines, anu their explanation was not
yet some had attributed the m TO the congels-
ton OF the central mass like water frozen in Q
glass globe. Bits OF the mountain scenery Of
the moon were thrown ON the curtain and
seemed very unattractivs, though evidently
grand IN their very uQliuvsa.