Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-08-16

If an astronomer were offered a trip to
the moon and asked where he would
like to land first, 1t is probable that he
would reply: In Plato, If you please"
Now, Plato is a huge circular mountain
ringed valley, which can be seen from the
earth with a good opera glass in
lunar north latitude fifty degrees
and 1t eXcites the astronomers curiosity
because of what he has dimly seen go
ing on within it.
Let us, then, approach Plato as il
dropping down upon the moon with a
balloon. As we draw near we find that
the time Of our arrival is that OF lunar
sunrise in the longitude of Plato. But
the rising of the sun on the moon is a
very slow process 1t takes the solar orb
seven days TO pass upward from the hori
son of the noon line. The consequence is
that, hanging over Plato in our aerial
conveyance, we find the whole of the great
valley under us, about sixty miles broad
and a mile deep. buried in the BLACKLIST
night. But the peaks on its western bor-
der are already cleaning in the sunlight,
and the surface OF the moon to the west
Of those mountains is all illuminated with
the morning beams. The lunar Alps are
ablaze with light, while the shadows
filling their mighty gulches and chasms
are as black jet. Far off along the
southwestern horizon, we see the tower
ing giants OF the lunar Caucasus and the
lunar Apennines, serrated ridge os
flaming pinacles set against a black sky.
The sharpness of the division between
day and night is amazing. 1t arises
from the virtual absence OF air. There
is no twilight band between.
Presently a brilliant point flashes out
towards the east. 1t looks like a fire
suddenly lighted in the midst of the
ocean OF night still covering the moons
eastern hemisphere. 1t is a CONSPICUOUS
he cid Of 81
tain ring, which has just been reached by
the rays of the rising sun. The mag
nificence of the spectacle now gradu-
ally unfolded beneath us is beyond des-
cription. AS the line of sunrise slowly
creeps down the precipices on the eastern
border of the valley, we begin to per-
ceive the broad, flat floor emerging into
visibility. Its central part has been dim
ly visible for some time. Slowly the
darkness in the valley retires westward
as the sun rises higher, and the great
plain at length lies fully displayed in
the morning light.
And now strange things occur. Won
derful changes OF color take place in
the valley. These become more pro-
nounced as the slope of the sun
beams falling into the valley
checkered in a curious way with spots and
grows sleeper. The entire floor is
areas Of varying tint BY the middle of
the long lunar forenoon the whole val
ley has lost its original neutral tone and
has become n dull, spotty brown, with
suggestions of yellow. Prepared by ana
logy, we are not much surprised when,
descending to the floor Of Plato, we find
ourselves standing in the midst of a roll
ing prairie, covered with fantastic plants,
slender, crowded. shaped more caprici-
ously than a mass of orchids, and with
flowers of n strange, unearth-like beauty
already opening where the sunbeams have
rested longest. There is no wind, not the
slightest breeze, no motion except the
stir of the opening leaves and petals.
1t is nike the magic awakening of the pet
rified city of Oriental legend,
"A touch, a kiss, the charm is snapt"
Garrett p. Serviss, in the April
Circle.