The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-12
Famous French Astronomer Tells Why
He Believes the Satellite Still Has
anAtmosphere andMay Be theHome
of Monstrous Vegetable Life.
BY Camille Flammarion,
BY Camille FlaTnrnarion,
The Famous French Astronomer.

lunar atmosphere is Insignificant whence the
German astronomer concluded that this atmos.
phere. If 1t exist must be at least 900 times
rarer at the surface of the moon than at the
earth.
But this conclusion is excessive, for the oc.
cultations observed since then with the
greatest precision prove that this difference
is sometimes two seconds to two and half
seconds. The received raised since
Bessers time against there being any lunar
atmosphere has no more value today and the
probabilities all point in the other direction.
He relied with too much confidence upon
the telescope determinations OF the diameter
Of the lunar globe. No one can have forgotten
the central eclipse of the sun which took place
near Paris, especially over SaintGermain.
April II. 1912. That eclipse was neither an.
nular total, and l suggested for this
special case a name which has been generally
adopted. "pearied eclipse" because the edge
of the sun remained visible in the intervals
between the Irregularities Of the lunar edge
produced by the mountains of the moon pro-
iected upon the luminous edge. and because
these slopes presented the appearance of a
string or pearls
! showed at the same time that henceforth.
should distinguish in our calculations
three diameters of the moon /. The inside
circumference, passing over the plains and
valleys; :. Inc outer circumference, passing
over the summit; 8. en- average circumference
between these two extremes The extreme
crcumferences differ by at least two seconds.
or about $4,000 feet and give for the three
diameters. 2152; 2.154; 2.153 miles.
We see now how far are from the abso-
lutte circle of BesseL We may also remark
that the mountainous contour changes in per.
spective according to the epoch and the libra.
tons or balancings OF our satellite.
The moon may hide star either by It's
illuminated edge. or by the dark SIDE The
duration of the occultation may reach one hour
and ffty-fve minutes. il it be central. The
star disappears almost instantly, when
it is of the first magnitude, which may be true
of four stars in the zodiac before which the
moon may pass: Aldebaran, Spica Virginas
Antares and Regu1us. When the occultation is
made by the dark side of the moon which is
absolutely invisible this sudden disappearance
always surprises the observer. although he
expects 1t.
Sometimes, instead OF disappearing instant.
aneously. the star shines through one Of the
valleys of the moon, of which have just
spoken, and is hidden only after some delay.
Sometimes it is projected like small light
on the dark side of the moon. aud only dis.
appears few seconds later.
On February "a, 1904. observed the occul-
taton OF Aldebaran. which was almost CEN
trail Aldebaran seemed like a reddish torch
by the side of the moons golden light The
star disappeared instantly behind the dark
side of the moon which was invisible. But
another observer, looking at the same phenom.
enon from another part of the earth. observed
that Aldebaran was projected upon the dark
side Of the for two or three seconds be-
fore it disappeared. The moon is SO
our earth, only thirty diameters of the earth
away, that these variations common, be.
cause of the different angle presented to OBJ
servers.
April "a, 1918, Gheury, observing from Fit.
ham, England studied the occultation Of the
star Pi of Scorpio. of the third magnitude,
and he a very dim star issue from the
disk, which became brilliant second
later. The observer attributed this phenom.
enon to a lunar atmosphere sufficiently dense
to have settled down into a valley behind
which the star was hidden at the moment of
emergence.
The OSCILLATIONS OF stars lead US. in certain
cases. to attribute an atmosphere to the moon
varying in density. This density may vary
considerably the temperature of the soil
of this neighboring globe changes greatly.
The rays Of the burning sun heat it for long
period of fifteen times twenty-four hours, and
should raise the temperature higher than that
of boiling water; and night just as long should
make the temperature fall every month below
freezing, possibly to 100 or 200 below zero.
The stratum which may exist the surface
of the lunar globe, and especially in the val.
legs, is subject to these great variations.
Moreover, although during solar eclipses
the edge OF the lunar disk is absolutely clear
and cuts the solar disk by sharp intersec-
ton, there are, nevertheless. exceptions. Thus.
during the eclipses of September 30, 1876, and
May II, 1882, the English astronomer, Noble,
at the two ends of the curve of contac: