New-York tribune., 1909-11-28
EARTHCAUG MOON
700 100000 YEARS AGO.
Orators Caused by Planetary
Collisions, Sdgs Professor Sec.

san Francisco. Nov. g..-Exiending and
completing his researches on the origin Of
she planets and satellites Of the solar sys-
TEN, earlier accounts OF " hich were made
puhlie m January and June Of the present
senr. Professor 7. J. J. See. L. $. " the
astronomer sn charge Of the Naval OBJ
sorra,ory At Mare Island. gave 10 the As
Economical Society - tho Pacific tonight
sn explanation ~ the origin OF the crsters
az The moon. Iie then proceeded 20 apply
tho new Theory 10 the obliauities 81 the
pisn which. he said. ovsroame the last
difficulty in tie WY Of the capture theo-
~" recently advanced by him as suppl ant
ins tho nebulsr hypothesis Of I.splsee.
Professor See asserted that the lunar era
tors we've undoubtedly due 20 the impact 81
smaller satellites against ,he eirfece of VIE
moon, ana not 10 volcanic action. ss had
been generally believed since tho time OF
Galtlso. Tn. view thst the lunar c-sters
misht 70 due 10 impact. he safd had oc-
CURED 20 Proctor &c long ego as 1873. and
hsc been mentioned as = curiosity by New
como IN ls7s while - lad been more fully
developed h. Or q. h. Gilbert, of the
United States Geological Survey fn rsps
hgt the impact theory had never been ac-
cepied b. seologists or astronomers and
vas not mentioned I'm any recent works on
astronomy, 20 great had been the forces %
traditional opinion inClining 10 tho old VOL
csuic theory
Professor See. however. pointed out de-
tsiled reasons which he said we're abso-
iutsly decisive against the volcanic theory.
snd remarked that there would now be less
difficulty m seeing the truth Of the i'm
psci theor. than formerly. because ne had
receutly proved that tho moon was not n
part OF the earth thrown or by rapid ro-
totion. bur = planet captured from space
The new theory of the capture % the moon
he said. had been fsvorably received hy the
scientinc world but u would hs % stnl
greater use IN bringing 10 light Other dis
covoriof. such rs those announced tonight.
THE TYPICAL CRATER.
Dr See said tho tynicsl crater IN e..
moon was a very large circular depression.
With steep walls inside and sloping walls
outside snd small peak IN the centre.
with the TOP - II below the average level
~ the lunar surface. II suy one supposed
re crsters % be volcanic 81 was in7Dossi-
he 10 account for tho depressions where
mo crstcrs stood and no forces directed
in"m within could dig out the circular
irolgh about The peak I'm the centre. Then.
700 ire way the Crafers lie over ono an
other shows that they arc nothing but
fstelite inoentetions. About the newer
"rafsrs. as CopcruicIs Ty-ho ana Aristcr-
chus. tie bright rays rsoisting in ell direc-
ficns shos that a. she time ~ the collisions
7hs force Of the impact was such that mai
Ter p-ss melted. .spcrized and driver, out
from these centres IN al directions
ateiii'e hit'lng IN" moon might have its
temperature raised 10 four thousand Dc
sress or higher. and The bright ravs from
me orsters were du. 20 the spstterfns of
highly heated matter.
The hlszing Fash seen in tsrcet nrsc,,cs
"hen shot hits the target vas familiar
80 officers % the military service. srd the
Sst'ening and spreading of The rroiec-i,e
was such - 10 gi,e peak I'm the centre %
the msshe6 shell while - the same tim.
o rim is formed srcund u. Just Hk. that
seen sbout The craterE on Tho moon Pu;
the shot hred IN the miehtiest target prac-
toe on the earth Was g. nothing compared
- 'haf in tho heavens. where satellites
from twenty 80 ffiv miles IN diameter
had beer hurled agsinst the lunar surface
with q vslocitv 81 over = mile = second and
thus produced blazing confsgraiions some
times covering tho whol. eide of the moon
Professor See pointed out that MANY Of
the crsters were largely covered with COS.
ulics' dust. a kind OF metallic or Hthic rain.
which had fallen from such CONGREGATIONS
There was no air about the moon IN which
y ceuld long remain suspended. re aid
that tho moon had never had an-- seas or
smaller bodies u water and that the lunar
mountains were entirely due 10 impact %
satellites against the surface He thought.
however, tlst most of the great collisions
had occurred before the moon was captured
by tho earth, and. therefore. While the
moon was still revolving iu tho region nov
corrupted hy tho asteroids. The smaller
asteroids are shout the size ~ the falling
hcdis7 which have produced the larger
lunar crsrers-from twenty 20 sixty miles
Hcross. This is about the size ~ tho planet
I-ros. which approaches nesrer the earth
than any other known planot
The TOughness or The surface of our
mocn shows how many hard knocks IL has
received a. 'he pas Every Planet hss
gene through similar experience. hut
whose having atmosphere and oceans like
'he earth. have suffered such great geologi-
- changes thai thev have long since lost
OF trace of ancient hattering, while these
indentstions have survived on the airless
Er6 waterless moon. ~ show us the terrific
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