Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-17

servatory, the writer has been enabled to
watch sunrise on the moon, from the time it
was a slender crescent with the Old Moon
IN the New Moons arms until ii emerged
in all its glory as full moon some fourteen
days later. Seated in silence and alone
while gazing through 4 powerful telescope
at successive lunar scenes as they came into
view, it required but Slight effort of the
imagination to suppose oneself actually on
the moon, watching the effect of sunrise
upon some distant landscape.
Had | expected to see the silvery hues and
rosy light that announce the approach of
dawn on our planet, | should have been dis
appointed, as these wondrorlS displays with
which we are familiar here are lacking on
the moon, owing to the absence of atmos-
phere. No vaporouS screen SoftcnS the
dazzling brightness of the sun, as it sud-
denly appears above the lunar horizon with
a blaze OF light that ilumines the tops of the
lunar mountains while the valleys are as vet
in utter darkness. A spectator on the sum-
init of one of the lofty ridges surrounding
the Crisian Sea, which is the first to come
into view, would be unable to see anything
or anyone in the plain below, until the sun
light had advanced sufficiently to throw
light on that region A step from sunlight
into darkness would serve to hide the spec
tator from someone standing beside in the
light, as effectively as if he had donned the
cap that rendered mortals invisible in the
good old times of fairy folklore. Lost in the
blackness OF night, a cry for help would be
unheard, since there is no air on the moon,
and without air there can be no commune
cation between the sound of voi e and the
nerves of hearing. Dead silence rcigns on
the moon. A thousand cannons might be
fired and a thousand drums beaten upon
that airleSs world: but no sound could come
from them. Lips might CULVER and tongues
essay to speak; but no action of theirs
could break the utter silence of the lunar
scene"
Therefore. it is with no expectation of see
ing glorious color effects that one must pre-
pare to watch sunrise on the moon, nor is it
a spectacle that occupies the short period of
time that elapses between dawn and noon
on our planet. For fourteen successive
evenings we must look upon the changing
scene, enjoying the revelation of new fea-
lures as they gradually come into view, and
the disappearance of others as they become
merged in the dazzling glare of sunlight and
are finally effaced for the time being As a
traveller returning from foreign lands de-
scrlbes only the places of interest that he
found most attractive, leaving the discus
sion of minute details to guidcbooks and
aliases. SO in this description of the appear
ance of the moon at sunrise it is possible to
refer only briefly to the most impressive
facts. Two excellent guidebooks for those
who wish to make a closer study of the SUBJ
ject, from popular viewpoint, are Garrett
p. Serviss book entitled THE AIo0n,"
which is illustrated with photographs of the
moon taken with the twelve-inch telescope
at the Yerkes Observatory, and "Astron-
omy with an Opera Glass, which contains a
map of the moon and descriptive matter on
this interesting celestial object. The map
will be useful for reference, as it is impos-
sible to write even the briefest account of
the moon without occasional naming of
prominent regions thereon, as they come
into view at sunrise.
The First Sunrise
MY first observation of the moon was
made on July8, the day after new moon,
when it appeared as silver crescent out
lined against the grav-blue sky The inner
edge of the moon was broken and uneven,
continuing beyond the horns like line of
silver partly encircling the faint outline of
the old moon. Had the sky been clear, it
would have been possible to see what is
faniliarly termed the Old Moon in the New
Moon IS arms. Unfortunately, on this occa-
sion, a slight haze made it impossible.
Otherwise the outline Of the features of the
old moon as yet untouched by the suns
rays would have been family outlined by
of taJ oh