The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-10
LOOK ABOVE
And study the stars and Skies.

 Louisville Post. The surface of the moon, like that of our earth. Is diversified by hills and plains, mountains and valleys. The plains on the moon were once thought | to be lakes or oceans. but in the clearer | light of science they are now regarded | as level tracts of land. Indeed, it is now thought that there is no water at | all on the moon. and that she does not possess vegetable or animal life of any | kind. but that desolation and a death- like silence reign supreme. That there are mountains on the moon has been | proven by the most indisputable evi- dence. For instance, when she is in- l creasing. certain places on her surface are illuminated sooner than the sur rounding regions. appearing like bright | spots within the dark portions of her | surface. and then after the teruhinator | (the terminator is the line which sep | arates the dark from the enlightened portion of the moons surface) has passed over these bright spots. they cast their shadows upon the enlight- | ened portions of her surface opposite | to the sun. These shadows correspond | to the form of the mountain or moun- | tains which cast them. There is one remarkable feature in the moons sur face which bears no resemblance to anything to be seen on this earth These are the great circular cavities which appear on every part of her surface. Some of these tremendous caverns are about forty miles in d. ameter and four miles deep. It is now generally conceded that the moon has but very little. if any. atmosphere, and in support of this theory very strong reasons can be advanced For instance, there are no indications of twilight. a phenomenon that implies the presence of an atmosphere. For if she had a twilight there would be a gradual transition from the light to the dark portions, but no such transi- ton occurs on the surface. as there ia a well-deHned line between the light and dark portions.
 It is an interesting contemplation for us to try to realize how the earth would appear as viewed from the moon. The surface of the earth would appear about thirteen times as large as that of the moon viewed from the earth. This fact would add immensely to the beauty of the starry heavens, as viewed from our faithful companion However. we must not suppose that be- cause the earth appears so large her physical features become more dis tinct. Indeed, it is just otherwise, for, owing to the dense atmosphere of the
 
 her surface a matter of great difficulty, if not of absolute innpossibility.
 The two most conspicuous planets during this month are Venus and Jupi- ter, which now appear in the west as our evening stars. Venus is the brighter of the two, although Jupiter Is not far behind her in point of brill fancy. These two brilliant planets are in conjunction on March 9, at which fa AVa Jupiter. This will afford 6 beautiful picture in the evening sky as these two planets are the brightest of our sys- tenn. What is still more interesting is the fact that the moon on that day is situated just below the two planes. thus making a picture that cannot fail to attract the eye. The group Is seen setting in the west soon after 9 o'clock. Venus reaches her greatest brilliancy on March 21, after which date she slowly grows less brilliant, and soon begins her journey toward the sun. ..
 Mars is also our evening star in March, and although making his ap- pearance rather late in the evening is nevertheless a very conspicuous figure. He rises on the 10th about Il o'clock, and is easily distinguished by his red, brilliant light. He Is situated in the constellation Libra, and journeying eaatward toward the head of the Scor- plan. While not yet at the height of his brilliancy. he is a beautiful figure, and is daily increasing in splendor. He also rises earlier each evening un- iii at the end of the month he appears on the eastern horizon about 10 o'clock. On March 24 Mars and the moon are in conjunction, the planet appearing a1-2 degrees south of the moon, af- fording to our gaze very pretty pie ture when rising.
 saturn is our morning star in March. and is not readily seen, as he is just emerging from his conjunction with inc sun last month. He rises at the middle of the month just an hour be- fore sun. so 1t will require sharp watching to detect him in the morn ing twilight He rises earlier each day. and also grows more brilliant, so that he soon becomes conspicuous feature of the morning sky. Of those