The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-08
SATELLITES CAUSE
OF MOONS CRATERS
Their Impact the Explanation
Given by Prof. See, of the
United States Navy
LUNA IS THE EARTH'S CAPTIVE
And Other Planets Held In Captivity
by Suns, Which Caught Thorn In
Their FIIsht-Unexpeoted Light on
Origin Of Universe.

San Francisco, Cal.-Extending and
completing his researches on the ORR
gin Of the planets and satellites Of
the solar system, earlier accounts Of
which were made public a few months
ago, Professor T. J. J. See, the astron-
omer In charge Of the Naval Observa-
tory at Mare Island, gave to the as
Economical Society Of the Pacific an
explanation Of the origin Of the era
ters of the moon, and proceeded to
apply the new theory to the obliQui-
ties Of the planets which overcame
the last difficulty in the way Of the
Capture Theory" recently advanced
by him as supplanting the nebular hy-
pothesis of Laplace.
Professor See announced that the
lunar craters were undoubtedly due
to the impact Of smaller satellites
against the surface of the moon, and
not to volcanic action, as had been be-
lieved generally since the time Of Gall.
leo. The view that the lunar craters
might be due to impact had occurred
to Proctor as long ago as 1873, and
had been mentioned as q curiosity By
Newcomb in 1878; while 1t had been
more fully developed by DR.. G. X. Gil
bert of the United States Geological
Survey in 1892. But the impact the
ory had never been accepted by geo
logists or astronomers, and was not
mentioned in any recent works on az
tronomy, so great has been the force
of traditional opinion inclinins to the
old volcanic theory.
Professor See, however, pointed out
detailed reasons which, he thinks ab-
solutely decisive against the volcanic
theory, and remarked that there
would now be less difficulty In seeing
the truth of the impact theory than
formerly, because he had recently
proved that the moon is not a part OF
the earth thrown of BY rapid rota-
ton, but q planet captured from space.
The new theory of the capture Of the
moon had been favorably received By
the scientific world, but 1t would bo
of still greater use in bringing to
light other discoveries, such az those
announced tonight.
DR.. See said typical crater On the
moon was a large circular depression.
with steep walls inside and slopang
walls outside, and q small pea tn the
centre, with the top Of 1t below the
average level of the lunar surface. II
any ono supposed the orators to be
volcanic, 1t was impossible to account
for the depressions where tho craters
stand; and no forces directed from
within could dig out the circular
trough about the peak in tho centre.
Then, too, the way the oraters lie
over one another shows that they are
nothing but satellite indentations.
About the newer craters. as Coperni-
Gus, Tycho and Aristarchus. the
bright rays radiating In all directions
show that at the time Of the collisions
the force Of the impact was such that
matter was melted, vapori5ed and
driven out from these centres In all
directions. A satellite hitting the
moon might have its temperature
raised to 4,o0e degrees or higher, and
the bright rays from the craters were
due to the spattering Of highly heat
ed matter.
DR.. See announced that he had now
proved that the planets had been cap
tured by the sun, and that their orbits
had been gradually reduced in size
and rounded up under the secular &C
ton of q resisting medium; that the
satellites likewise had been captured
by their several planets, and had had
their orbits transformed IN the same
manner; finally that the moon had
been captured by the earth, and the
craters on It's surface had been form
ed by the impact of satellites. whom
the moon revolved among the aStSr-
oids or further out. The time invol
we'd in tho formation Of the solar Hys-
tenn was to be reckOned in billions Of
years may have elapsed since the
moon was captured By the earth. All
the principal phenomena Of the solar
system were now fully explained In
accordance with known mechanical
laws, and astronomers had gained an
unexpected light on the origin OF the
systems Of the universe.