Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-06
Boy and the Moon


Little 8-year-old Prince
Ali al-Sabah of the ruling
family of oil-rich Kuwait
wanted to look at the moon
through a big telescope before
he left Washington. During his
year in this city, he had fished
and ridden horseback in near
by Virginia, had Skated cor
tried to Skate) on the ice
bound Rejecting Pool, had
climbed the Washington
Monument. visited the Capitol,
looked at pictures in the Ma
tional Museum, and had seen
the worlds first airplane at
the Smithsonian. In addition,
he had attended regular
mosque service and the Islamic
Sunday school in the beauti-
full mosque on Massachusetts
avenue, toward the building
of which his father had con-
tributed. In addition, of course,
he had learned to read and
to deal successfully with those
magic Arabic numerals which
his brilliant race had origi-
mated.
Still. before he returned to
his native land, he longed to
see the mountains on the moon
and those sun-drenched pla-
teauS where space-shipS might
land. Being too young to visit
the United States Observatory,
we telephoned kind-hearted
Father Francis Heyden, direc-
tor OF Georgetown University
Observatory. and explained
our case to him. He invited us
to come down the following
Thursday night, saying that
was the best time to see the
mountains on the moon, as it
was beginning its first quarter.
Father Heyden greeted as
cordially as an old friend, this
little prince from Kuwait. With
a gentle kindness, he con-
centrated the whole machinery
OF the observatory upon his
little visitor Slowly, the great
telescope was shifted toward
the moons position in the
western sky and then the dome
itself was moved to suit. After
considerable adjustment, he
said to Prince Ali, Nov, look"
Prince Ali climbed the big
stepladder until he could look
through the small lens that
reflected the moon to his eye.
The position of the moon was
just right for a vivid glimpse
OF It's huge craters filled with
shadows. one edge catching
the blazing light of the sun.
That part of the moon not
visible to the eye was in the
moons night. Father Heyden
explained. And the craters so
brightly lit up we're now in the
moons dawn.
For about an hour, Father
Heyden answered as best he
could the boys eager and naive
questions. Then he turned
the telescope to Jupiter, the
suns largest planet, and Ali
saw strung along side the great
globe of light which was
Jupiter a series of three small
lights on one side, and one
light on the other-four Of the
seven moons of Jupiter as then
were visible.
Father Heyden explained
that Jupiter was the largest
planet in the solar system
large enough to hold all the
other planets inside it. This
and much more astronomical
lore-put in as simple terms as
possible-the kindly astrono-
mer poured into Ais eager
ears.
AS Ali turned at last to 90,
he thanked his kind host and
added with deep sincerity, II
shall never forget tonight"
Mrs. Cobb and / shall never
forget it either. 1t was actually
an impressive occasion-for it
was a remarkable expression
on the part of a great aStrono-
mer-of that international
good will which eventually will
bring all the world together,
living as that one great family
which in reality is-the human
race.
StanwOOd Cobb,
Director. Chevy Chase
Country Day School.