The Moon's Romance

An observer endued with an infinite range of vision, and placed in that unknown center around which the entire world revolves, might have beheld myriads of atoms filling all space during the chaotic epoch of the universe. Little by little, as ages went on, a change took place; a general law of attraction manifested itself, to which the hitherto errant atoms became obedient: these atoms combined together chemically according to their affinities, formed themselves into molecules, and composed those nebulous masses with which the depths of the heavens are strewed. These masses became immediately endued with a rotary motion around their own central point. This center, formed of indefinite molecules, began to revolve around its own axis during its gradual condensation; then, following the immutable laws of mechanics, in proportion as its bulk diminished by condensation, its rotary motion became accelerated, and these two effects continuing, the result was the formation of one principal star, the center of the nebulous mass.

An observer with unlimited vision, standing at the unknown center around which the entire world revolves, might have seen countless atoms filling all space during the universe’s chaotic age. Gradually, over the ages, a change took place. A general law of attraction emerged, and the atoms that had wandered freely until then obeyed it. The atoms combined chemically according to their affinities, forming molecules and the cloudlike masses scattered through the depths of the heavens. These masses immediately began to rotate around their own centers. Each center, made up of countless molecules, began to spin on its axis as it gradually condensed. Then, according to the unchanging laws of mechanics, it spun faster as condensation reduced its size. As condensation and acceleration continued, they formed one principal star at the center of the cloudlike mass.

By attentively watching, the observer would then have perceived the other molecules of the mass, following the example of this central star, become likewise condensed by gradually accelerated rotation, and gravitating round it in the shape of innumerable stars. Thus was formed the Nebulæ, of which astronomers have reckoned up nearly 5,000.

By watching carefully, an observer would then have seen the other particles of the mass follow the central star’s example. As they spun faster and faster, they too condensed into countless stars and revolved around it. This was how the Nebulæ formed. Astronomers have counted nearly 5,000 of them.

Among these 5,000 nebulæ there is one which has received the name of the Milky Way, and which contains eighteen millions of stars, each of which has become the center of a solar world.

Among these 5,000 nebulae is one called the Milky Way. It contains eighteen million stars, each of which has become the center of a solar system.

If the observer had then specially directed his attention to one of the more humble and less brilliant of these stellar bodies, a star of the fourth class, that which is arrogantly called the Sun, all the phenomena to which the formation of the Universe is to be ascribed would have been successively fulfilled before his eyes. In fact, he would have perceived this sun, as yet in the gaseous state, and composed of moving molecules, revolving round its axis in order to accomplish its work of concentration. This motion, faithful to the laws of mechanics, would have been accelerated with the diminution of its volume; and a moment would have arrived when the centrifugal force would have overpowered the centripetal, which causes the molecules all to tend toward the center.

Suppose the observer had focused on one of these heavenly bodies, a humbler and less brilliant star of the fourth class. This star is arrogantly called the Sun. The observer would have seen all the processes that formed the Universe unfold one after another. The Sun was still a gas, made up of moving molecules. The observer would have seen it spinning on its axis as it gradually contracted. In keeping with the laws of mechanics, it would have spun faster as its volume decreased. Eventually, centrifugal force would have overcome centripetal force, which draws all the molecules toward the center.

Another phenomenon would now have passed before the observer’s eye, and the molecules situated on the plane of the equator, escaping like a stone from a sling of which the cord had suddenly snapped, would have formed around the sun sundry concentric rings resembling that of Saturn. In their turn, again, these rings of cosmical matter, excited by a rotary motion about the central mass, would have been broken up and decomposed into secondary nebulosities, that is to say, into planets. Similarly he would have observed these planets throw off one or more rings each, which became the origin of the secondary bodies which we call satellites.

The observer would now have seen another phenomenon. Molecules along the plane of the equator would have escaped like a stone from a sling whose cord had suddenly snapped. They would have formed several concentric rings around the sun, resembling Saturn’s ring. In turn, these rings of cosmic matter, rotating around the central mass, would have broken apart into secondary clouds, or planets. The observer would also have seen each planet throw off one or more rings. These rings became the source of the secondary bodies we call satellites.

Thus, then, advancing from atom to molecule, from molecule to nebulous mass, from that to principal star, from star to sun, from sun to planet, and hence to satellite, we have the whole series of transformations undergone by the heavenly bodies during the first days of the world.

So the sequence runs from atom to molecule, from molecule to cloudlike mass, and from that mass to principal star. It continues from star to sun, from sun to planet, and from planet to satellite. This is the complete series of transformations that heavenly bodies underwent in the earliest days of the world.

Now, of those attendant bodies which the sun maintains in their elliptical orbits by the great law of gravitation, some few in turn possess satellites. Uranus has eight, Saturn eight, Jupiter four, Neptune possibly three, and the Earth one. This last, one of the least important of the entire solar system, we call the Moon; and it is she whom the daring genius of the Americans professed their intention of conquering.

The sun’s gravity keeps its planets in elliptical orbits. A few of these planets have moons of their own. Uranus has eight, Saturn eight, Jupiter four, Neptune possibly three, and Earth one. We call Earth’s moon the Moon. It is one of the least important moons in the entire solar system. Yet the daring genius of the Americans declared its intention to conquer it.

The moon, by her comparative proximity, and the constantly varying appearances produced by her several phases, has always occupied a considerable share of the attention of the inhabitants of the earth.

The moon has always drawn considerable attention from people on Earth because it is relatively close and its phases constantly change its appearance.

From the time of Thales of Miletus, in the fifth century B.C., down to that of Copernicus in the fifteenth and Tycho Brahé in the sixteenth century A.D., observations have been from time to time carried on with more or less correctness, until in the present day the altitudes of the lunar mountains have been determined with exactitude. Galileo explained the phenomena of the lunar light produced during certain of her phases by the existence of mountains, to which he assigned a mean altitude of 27,000 feet. After him Hévelius, an astronomer of Dantzic, reduced the highest elevations to 15,000 feet; but the calculations of Riccioli brought them up again to 21,000 feet.

From the time of Thales of Miletus in the fifth century B.C. to Copernicus in the fifteenth century A.D. and Tycho Brahé in the sixteenth, observations were made from time to time with varying accuracy. Today, the heights of the lunar mountains have been determined precisely. Galileo explained the light seen on the Moon during certain phases as the effect of mountains. He estimated their average height at 27,000 feet. After him, Hévelius, an astronomer from Dantzic, lowered the estimate for the highest mountains to 15,000 feet. But Riccioli's calculations raised it again to 21,000 feet.

At the close of the eighteenth century Herschel, armed with a powerful telescope, considerably reduced the preceding measurements. He assigned a height of 11,400 feet to the maximum elevations, and reduced the mean of the different altitudes to little more than 2,400 feet. But Herschel’s calculations were in their turn corrected by the observations of Halley, Nasmyth, Bianchini, Gruithuysen, and others; but it was reserved for the labors of Boeer and Maedler finally to solve the question. They succeeded in measuring 1,905 different elevations, of which six exceed 15,000 feet, and twenty-two exceed 14,400 feet. The highest summit of all towers to a height of 22,606 feet above the surface of the lunar disc. At the same period the examination of the moon was completed. She appeared completely riddled with craters, and her essentially volcanic character was apparent at each observation. By the absence of refraction in the rays of the planets occulted by her we conclude that she is absolutely devoid of an atmosphere. The absence of air entails the absence of water. It became, therefore, manifest that the Selenites, to support life under such conditions, must possess a special organization of their own, must differ remarkably from the inhabitants of the earth.

At the end of the eighteenth century, Herschel used a powerful telescope to greatly reduce the earlier measurements. He put the highest elevations at 11,400 feet and the average height at just over 2,400 feet. But observations by Halley, Nasmyth, Bianchini, Gruithuysen, and others corrected Herschel’s calculations in turn. The work of Boeer and Maedler finally settled the question. They measured 1,905 elevations. Six exceed 15,000 feet, and twenty-two exceed 14,400 feet. The highest peak rises 22,606 feet above the surface of the lunar disc. At the same time, the examination of the moon was completed. The moon appeared to be covered with craters, and every observation showed its essentially volcanic character. The rays of planets passing behind the moon are not bent. From this, we conclude that the moon has no atmosphere at all. Without air, there can be no water. It therefore became clear that the Selenites must have a special physical makeup to survive in such conditions. They must differ remarkably from the inhabitants of the earth.

At length, thanks to modern art, instruments of still higher perfection searched the moon without intermission, not leaving a single point of her surface unexplored; and notwithstanding that her diameter measures 2,150 miles, her surface equals the one-fifteenth part of that of our globe, and her bulk the one-forty-ninth part of that of the terrestrial spheroid—not one of her secrets was able to escape the eyes of the astronomers; and these skillful men of science carried to an even greater degree their prodigious observations.

At last, advances in technology produced even more precise instruments. They searched the moon without pause, leaving no point on its surface unexplored. The moon is 2,150 miles in diameter, with one-fifteenth of Earth’s surface area and one-forty-ninth of its volume. Yet not one of its secrets escaped the eyes of astronomers. These skilled scientists carried their remarkable observations even further.

Thus they remarked that, during full moon, the disc appeared scored in certain parts with white lines; and, during the phases, with black. On prosecuting the study of these with still greater precision, they succeeded in obtaining an exact account of the nature of these lines. They were long and narrow furrows sunk between parallel ridges, bordering generally upon the edges of the craters. Their length varied between ten and 100 miles, and their width was about 1,600 yards. Astronomers called them chasms, but they could not get any further. Whether these chasms were the dried-up beds of ancient rivers or not they were unable thoroughly to ascertain.

They noticed that during a full moon, white lines appeared across parts of its disc. During the other phases, the lines appeared black. By studying them more closely, they learned exactly what the lines were. They were long, narrow furrows between parallel ridges, generally along the edges of craters. They ranged from ten to 100 miles long and were about 1,600 yards wide. Astronomers called them chasms, but could learn nothing more about them. They could not determine for certain whether the chasms were the dried-up beds of ancient rivers.

The Americans, among others, hoped one day or other to determine this geological question. They also undertook to examine the true nature of that system of parallel ramparts discovered on the moon’s surface by Gruithuysen, a learned professor of Munich, who considered them to be “a system of fortifications thrown up by the Selenitic engineers.” These two points, yet obscure, as well as others, no doubt, could not be definitely settled except by direct communication with the moon.

The Americans, among others, hoped to settle this geological question someday. They also set out to investigate the true nature of a system of parallel ramparts on the moon’s surface. Gruithuysen, a learned professor in Munich, had discovered them. He believed they were “a system of fortifications built by Selenitic engineers.” These two questions remained unclear, and others no doubt did too. They could only be settled for certain through direct communication with the moon.

Regarding the degree of intensity of its light, there was nothing more to learn on this point. It was known that it is 300,000 times weaker than that of the sun, and that its heat has no appreciable effect upon the thermometer. As to the phenomenon known as the “ashy light,” it is explained naturally by the effect of the transmission of the solar rays from the earth to the moon, which give the appearance of completeness to the lunar disc, while it presents itself under the crescent form during its first and last phases.

There was nothing more to learn about the intensity of the moon’s light. It was known to be 300,000 times weaker than sunlight. Its heat had no measurable effect on a thermometer. The phenomenon known as “ashy light” has a natural explanation. Sunlight reflected from the earth to the moon makes the lunar disc appear complete. This happens while the moon appears as a crescent in its first and last phases.

Such was the state of knowledge acquired regarding the earth’s satellite, which the Gun Club undertook to perfect in all its aspects, cosmographic, geological, political, and moral.

This was the state of knowledge about Earth's satellite. The Gun Club set out to perfect that knowledge in all its aspects: cosmographic, geological, political, and moral.