Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1922-05-24
ASTRO NOMICAI,
OBSERV ATIONS
The Moon
BY Levi G. johnson

t N Va.
Someone has said, "Of all celestial
ojects the nearest and most familiar
and most troublesome is our satellite.
the moon" It has probably caused
the theoretical astronomer as much
work and worry as all the other mem
bers OF the solar system put together,
while some idea may be had of the
mathematical part of the work by
quoting the following from The Geo
graphical Magazine: "A single investi-
cation of the inequalities of the
changes of the moon required 5000
hours of hard calculations by train
ed mathematician. There were $4,000
multiplications of series,s containing
some 100000 separate products. The
whole computation required the writ
fng of nearly five million digits and
plus and minus, signs, and even then
the author felt that much remained
to be done before he could construct
the tables he had undertaken to
make" The Moon is a globe of 2,16O
miles in diameter or little over one
fourth the diameter of the Earth and
one-fftieth the laters volume, while
its weight is only one-eightieth. It's
average distance from the Earth (cen-
ter to- center) is 23S,S62 miles. It's
orbit being so eccentric that it's dis
lance may be increased to nearly $780,
O00,or diminished to less than 100000.
while it's average distance undergoes
periodic changes. 1t is commonly
spoken of as travelling an orbit
around the Earth, while it would be
more correct to say tRe Earth and
Moon both swing around common
center of gravity, the Earth being
so times heavier deviates from such
point only 5000 miles, in other words
the Earth is swung 5000 miles from
the point Gin it's orbit around the
SUM where it would be if there was
no Moon. The Moons revolution around
the Earth requires 81 degrees hours
and 43 minutes, while from one new
to the next requires 20 degrees 10
hours average, being that it requires
over days for the moon to catch up
with the Suns apparent yearly mo-
ton. It has been calculated that the
light from the full moon is only
1-6OO, 900 of the suns. That means
We're the whole sky covered with
moons it would hardly make sunlight.
Another authority says the Earth re-
ceives as much light from the Sun
in 10 seconds as it receives from the
moon in whole year. It's rays con-
tains a trace of heat sufficient to
part Of degree Fair. It's surface
gravity is only about one-sixth of that
of the Earth, 100 lbs would there
fore weigh only 16 lbs. on the sur
face of the moon. A common man
would weigh from % to 80 lbs and
could lift bag Of sand with ease.
while if the size Of a man there would
be reduced in proportion to the size
of the Moon and Earth, common
man would be from Is to 20 inches
tall and weigh less than half
pound. The falling velocity increases
at the rate of 81 ft.~per Second as
compared with 80 feet on the Earth.
\ ball player, could therefore throw
ball six times as far there as he
can on terrestrial diamond. If War
ZEN would be on the Moon, it would
be an easy stunt for the athletes to
jump across the Snake river. while
the more brave ones would not hesi-
tate to take a dive through the air
from the top of the water tank. Farm
ers would need stock fences 20 feet
high, etc. Hunting would be danger
GUS sport as a rife bullet aimed at
level with a speed of. about HOO feet
per second would not come to the
ground, because its fall under gravity
would be exactly offset by the curva-
ture of the Moons surface, and could
travel around the moon and strike the
shooter in the. back of his head pro-
vided it did not hit some mountain.
But let us return to the Earth be-
cause, living beings from the Earth
can not exist there, for want of air
and water, which is extremely rare if
any. " !.
Table for Week of May 28-June 3rd
~ Sun Sun in Sun Moon
- q y Rises Mer Snts Rises