The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-15
Ideas of Science as ID Lunar
Conditions
MOON CAME FROM
Is Believed That It Was Thrown OFF
From Earth, Leaving a Hole,
Which Is Now the Pa
cific ocean.

Millions of years ago the earth was not
Thea land-bound, sea-swept globe so IA
miliar TO us, but a liquid mass on which
floated crust some thirty-fve miles thick
At that period, says the Strand Maya
zine, 1t turned on its axis at a constantly
increasing speed that finally shortened
the day to three hours. When that ter
rifle velocity was obtained 500 cubic mil
lion miles of matter We're hurled off by
the enormous centrifugal force and our
moon was born.
The cleaving of so large body must
have left some scar on the earth's sur
face 1t has accordingly been suggested
that the great basin now occupied by
the Pacific ocean was once filled by what
is now the moon.
Our moon has the distinction of being
the largest of all planetary Satellites
so large, indeed, that to the inhabitants
of Mars it must appear with the earth
a wonderfully beautiful twin planet.
Because the moon rotates on its axis
in exactly the same time that 1t reVolves
around the earth we are destined to see
little more than one hemisphere So slow
is this rotation that the lunar day Is
equal to fifteen of our days. For half a
month the moon Is exposed to the fierce
heat of the sun; for half a month it spins
through space in the densest gloom.
Attraction Less Than Earth's.
Smaller in mass than the earth is, the
moons attraction for bodies must be cor
respondingly less. A good terrestrial ath-
lete could cover about 100 feet on the
moon in a running broad jump and leap
inur 1Nar he a
place feat. man In the moon could car
ry six times as much and run six times as
fast as he could on the earth.
Although separated from us by a dis
lance that at times reaches $4,000 miles,
and is never less than 222OO0 miles, we
know more of the physical formation of
the single pallid face that the moon ever
turns toward us than we know of certain
parts of Asia and the heart of Africa
Powerful telescopes have brought our
satellite within a distance of forty miles
Of the earth. Physicists have mathemau-
cally weighed 1t and fixed its mass at
one-eightieth of the earth or 100000
100000 tons.
The moon presents aspects without any
terrestrial parallel Rent by fires long
since dead, It's honeycombed crust seems
like a great globe on the earth, but IN
number, size and structure they bear,
for the most part. little resembances to
those of the moon.
lunar crater Is not the mouth of
volcano having diameter of a few hun
dred feet. but a great circular plain
twenty. fifty, even one hundred miles In
diameter. surrounded by a precipice rising
to height of five thousand or ten thou
sand feet. with central hill or two about
half as high.
for the temperature of the moons sur
face during the long lunar night Is prob
ahlv not far from 400 degree below the
zero mark of a Fahrenheit thermometer
and the atmospheric pressure Is SO low
that a gass underpressure would sollolIy
as 1t escaped. Ice and snow are the
forms then. which lunar water must as
sumo.
Atmosphere Is Rare.
Reca,,se of the present paucity of water
tho moons atmosphere Is so exceedingly
rare that startling effects are produced
Perhaps the most striking Is that or uhe
sunrise Dawn and the soft golden grow
that usher in terrestrial day there cam
not be. The sun leaps from the horizon
a flaming sickle, and the loftler peaks I'M
mediately flash into light
There Is no azure sky to relieve the mo-
notonous effects of inl<y black shadows
and dazzling white expanses. Inc sun
CLEANS in fierce splendid. with no clouds
70 diffuse its binding light. All day long
AZ Is accom- panied by the Weiru Nosh oiO"'
light that we behold at rare intervals.
Even in midday the heavens are pitch
HACK SO that despite the sunlight. the
stars and planets CLEAN with bright
noes that they never exhibit to us. even
on the clearest of moonless nights AT
sea They shine steadily. too; for IL Is tne
earths atmosphere that causes uhem TO
twinkle TO our eyes
Tn the line of sight 1t Is Impossible 10
estimate distances. for there Is no sucn
nhenomenon as aerial perspective On
ierts are seen only when the rays OF the
sun strike them.
At times there may be observed Spots
which darlxen after sunrise and gradually
disannear toward sunset. They cannot be
caused by shadows; for shadows would
he least visible when the sun is directly
overhead
They appear most quickly at the eaua-
tor and invade the higher attitudes AFTER
a lanse of a few days. In the polar re-
pions they have never been seen. What
arc they? Organic life resembling vege-
tation answers Professor Pickering OF
Harvard university; vegetation that flour
ishes luxuriantly while the sun shines ana
wthers at night.
single day, It may be urged. Is not
sufficiently long for the development and
decay of vegetation; but sixteen hours
on the moon is little more than haif an
hour on the earth: a day lasts half
month"; and may be regarded as a minfa-
ture season.