Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-04
Mysterious Recent Changes Observed
in Craters ON Our Satellite and the
Evidence They Give of Possible
Existence of Life Discussed by Two
Eminent
A gent Insects Which in His First
Eminent
Astronomers

United States Weather Bureau.
A BOUT the middle Of The last century The
~ idea crcpt into the minds Of some
astronomers that perhaps the moon is
mol entirely dead. but so nearly so that no
great rolcanic' eruption or other changes on
great scale could be expected and that if
any change whatever took place other than
that of crumbllng walls. caused by the great
changc OF temperature which ranges from
near freezing TO two or three hundred Dc
grees below zero in the course Of month. il
would be OF q very minor nature.
They did not have long TO wai, for
change. One night in the year 1866 Prof
Schmidt was observing the floor OF the old
Sea OF Serenity. when he noted tho absence
OF we'll known volcanic crater which had
formerly stood out on the sea floor far from
any other crater near lis size. 1t had been
SIX miles in diameter. and is shown as such
on the maps made prior TO 1866 rs Lime
The region where il had been seemed 10 be
concealed by haze or smoke. All telescopes
were directed TO Lime for time In two
or three months The haze cleared, and in the
place OF siX-milc crater there was crater
not over half a mile across. and surrounding
the new crater was a white spot about the
size of tho original crater
The writer who for third Of Il century
has been student of the lunar surface, and
especially Of those points where change has
Dccn suspected. WAS watching the sun rlSc
over the floor Of the old Sea of Serenity The
evening of March I. 1911. when, just as the
trst rays OF the rising sun reached the spot
where Lime had been. he saw minute star
like spark of light, the lnmistakabc indca-
ton Of an elevation. In few minutes as
the sun rose higher the elevation formed it
self into crescent shape but il was soon
drowned out in light as the region around it
began to be lighted up
1t was very small and could be seen for
only few minutes each month every con
dition having to be favorable 1t was not
again seen until March. 1912. when it was
larger. but had lost its crescent shape |
did not sec my little mountain ON the moon
again until May s. July and November l.
1916, when it was larger and easily seen
AT no time has there been seen any sign Of
smoke or vapor. As the white spot grows
and shrinks in size. evidently by frost form
ing and melting, it is very satisfying to say
that our little hill is probably formed Of ice
rather than of the more durable hardened
lava, and may not be permanent.
Plato is one Of the great cratcrS. or walled
plans, OF the moon, nearly seventy miles
across, and with walls in places 1000 feet
high. 1T has rather smooth floor. but at
different times there have been seen as many
as forty-threc very small cratcrs on the floor
and these undergo changes that can only be
accounted Tor by actual change The floor
OF Plato also changes color, which forces us
to believe that there yet exists i'm this old
crater enough moisture and carbonc acid
gas to produce a low growth Of some quick
g