The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-07
HARVEST MOON
IL Now Making Night Almost rs
Light Is Day.
Peasants I'm Europe Harvest
Grain by Its Rays.
But NO HARVEST THIS YEAR
Its Seas and Craters Visible
With Naked Eye.
Noticeable in This Country
From Sept. 4 to IL.
But NO HARVEST THIS YEAR

SAAO Nu6lOn1 VI QC<4S<AHI8 anu NOuutAy
people in northern Europe to harvest
their fields Of grain under the silvery
rays OF the harvest moon: the first full
moon In September. II the harvest is
bountiful the country folk hold a cele-
bratton when it il completed. The
youth and maidens Of the countryside
gather from far and near and there is
dancing and merry-making until Bal
der. god of light and peace, drives his
golden chariot across the skies
But there will be little harvest this
year in the countries Of northern
Europe. The youth have answered
their countrie@' call to arms. Tyr and
Mars reign supreme in Europe now
and when the harvest moon shines for
the first time September 4. its dazzling
rays will glister on shining sabers and
pools of blood instead Of fields of
ripened. yellow grain.
A few evenings ago the young har-
vest moon. the first quarter hung low
like a thin crescent in the southwest
Passing the evening star, Venus. and
floating swiftly along her path to-
ward the planet Jupiter. the moon has
now assumed some Of the glory of the
full harvest moon.
1t Is Noticeable Here.
The phenomenon is much more
striking in northern Europe than in the
United States but is very noticeable
here. During this time the more inn
portant mountains, seas and craters
are visible to the naked eye. The
dark patches visible on the moon
are low and level plains. The bright
parts are mountain ranges and the
| more prominent eruptions. During
the first quarter IL the best time for
locating the lorger seas on it's western
half. A number of the moons seas.
namely. Mere Crisium, Mere Sereni-
| tatis and Mere Tranquilitatis are easily
seen. The average reader should not
be frightened by the names of the
60.
are known as the Sea Of Crises, the
Sea OF Tranquility and the Sea of
Serenity.
There is 20 water on the moon. It
was supposed by early observers that
the dark places on the moons surface
were seas. hence their names.
For hundreds of years it was the
| theory Of astronomers that the craters
on the moons surface were due to
volcanic eruptions but recently the
| theory has been discarded. Astrono-
mers now believe that the craters were
made by mete ors which since the
creation began have bOmbarded both
the moon and the earth by millions.
Scars ON Mother Earth.
The fact that millions Of meteors fall
astronomers grounds for the belief that
in ancient times the bodies were much
larger and caused terrific scars on the
surface of both the earth and the
moon The scars were obliterated
from the earth by the seas while those
on the moon remained as there was
nothing to destroy them.
AS the time OF full moon approach
ed the great seas, or in reality plains
come slowly into view. These are
called Mere Nectaris, Sea of Nectar.
and Mere Fecuncitatis, Sea of Fertility
However, they are seas in name only
as the moon is utterly devoid Of both
water and air.
AS the time of full moon approaches
the great seas Of the eastern half
come slowly into view. The larger Of
these in the upper left hand part is
Mere Inbrium. Sea Of Rains. north Of
this sea IS the Mere Procellarum, Sea
of Tempests.
lily located with the naked eye. Mere
Humorum, the Sea of Humors, and
the Mere Nubrium, the Sea of Clouds.
The Sea of Clouds is about half way
between the Sea of Humors and the
Sea of Tranquility. Across the ex-
is the northern part, is a long. dark
strip of country marked Mere F'rigoris,
the Sea of Cold.
The various seas are separated by
the light regions which are the plat
eaus and mountains or the famous
craters The craters are from q hum
dred miles in diameter to minute pit
marks.
At the southwest side Of the Sea OF
Crises is q bright promontory eleven
thousand feet high. At the lower side
of the moon is the great crater. Tycho.
cleaning in the sunshine and. radiat-
ing from the central crater. are in
Vulnerable crevices hundreds of miles
long. Another brilliant crater is that
of Copernicus, considerably east of the
center of the full moon, round.
bright spot.
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Saturday Results.