New Britain herald., 1927-12-10
MOON, WHEN FULL,
 AFFECTS WEIGHTS
Giant Liner LeYiathan Is Cut
 Down Several Tons

Washington, D. C., Dec. 1o-The great steamship Leviathan weighs some ten or twelve tons less when the moon is directly over It than when it is near the horizon. Similarly Bill Smith and his auto mobile, little Willie Smiths teddy bear, and Mrs. Smiths dainty pearl earrings all lose weight under the potent influence of Luna.
 So says bulletin from the Wash ngton, D. C. headquarters or the National Geographic Society deai- ing with the moons tide raising force.
 But the Lift is Light
 "As q matter of fact" continues the bulletin, everything on when the moon shines directly down loses il certain amount of its weight. but there need be no fear that we VIII 20 floating moonward: the down. ward pull of gravity which Keeps obiects on the earth's surface IS ten million times as great as 'ne lifting power of the moon' III other word, the greatest effect or inc moon on a given object IS to e,a., away one-tcu-millionth of its weight.
 Tn the case of large bodies, like inc Ieviathan, this fraction of the total weight is appreciable. But even the heaviest limousine wonid lose only the tiniest fraction Of an ounce-bctween and ' one-thons- and,hs. This would be equivalent 10 removing only three or four drops of gasoline from the fuel tank.
 "pluck a single fiber from the fuzzy- coat of Willie Smiths teddy boar and you would probably equal inc moons effect in reducing It's weight. And carefully Wiplng the imperccptible dust from Mrs. smith 5 earrings would no doubt quite out do the lunar influence on them.
 Moon shine and the Tides
 "But in spite of the small enect of the moons attraction on every . day objects. its total result on 'he earth is very marked. Its most mo- tah'e effect is to create the lde ol inc oceans which in turn affect the worlds sea-borne commerce Ne fisheries, the sanitation of its har- hors. and even mans eea-bathlne activities. In years to come thls ,noon-force may be harnessed to create power: already plans are uh- dor way for the construction or tidal power stations ,
 How does the moon decrease weight? u.,
 "In the same way that the earth creates it. The law of sraVllatiol' formulated by Newton states 'ha' ,varvhodv in existence in the uh- ;,orse attracts every other body Any two bodies are drawn together however, with greater or le's force depending on weather they arc hie (more accurately. have great massD or whether they are close together or far apart.
 Ncip.ht in Terms Of Grasity
 "1vhen YOU, an adult, say thai vou weight 150 pounds, you real's moan that your mass IS attracted ,,, the hugo earth, when you are m it's surface. with the same 1orce with which it's attracts 15O lead o' hrass or iron units which we arol' ,rarilv call pounds. Because babv has much less mass than you if is drawn toward the center ol ,b, earth with q smaller force, ant we say that it weights eight or 'ei or fifteen pounds
 "But the moon attracts your i's.'' in exactly the same way that 'n' earth does. It is, however Z''' 900 miles away-59 times as la away as the center ot the eal'h and it has only one-eightleth a' much mass as the earth. 50 ''' attraction for you is less than 'na of the earth. Its pull on you tremendously less than might ap pear at first consideration pecaus' any gravitational pull is reduced II proportion to the square Of ts ols