The Moon: considered as a planet, a world, and a satellite.

It is scarcely necessary to seek the reasons which prompted astronomers, soon after the invention of the telescope, to map the surface features of the moon. They may have consid...

As we stated in our brief general description of the visible hemisphere of the moon, and as a cursory glance at our map and plates will have shown, the predominant features of t...

A wide interest, if not a deep one, attaches to the general question as to the existence of living beings, or at least the possibility of organic existence, on planetary bodies...

We have now reached that stage of our subject at which it behoves us to repair to the telescope for the purpose of examining and familiarising ourselves with the various classes...

Apart from the recondite functions of the moon considered as one of the interdependent members of the solar family, into which it would be beyond our purpose to inquire, there a...

Speaking generally, the details of the lunar surface seem to us to be devoid of colour. To the naked eye of ordinary sensitiveness the moon appears to possess a silvery whitenes...

Our main object being to attempt what we conceived to be a rational explanation of the surface details of the moon which should be in accordance with the generally received theo...

At the close of the preceding chapter we stated that any force acting in opposition to that of gravity would be six times more effective on the moon than on the earth. But, in f...

In this Chapter we propose to treat briefly of the probable formation of the various members of the solar system from matter which previously existed in space in a condition dif...

In the foregoing Chapters we have endeavoured to show, by the light of modern science, first, how diffused cosmical matter was probably condensed into a planetary mass by the mu...

We have hitherto confined our attention to those reactions of the moon’s molten interior upon its exterior which have been accompanied by considerable extrusions of sub-surface...

In the preceding Chapter we endeavoured to show how the action of gravitation upon the particles of diffused primordial matter would result in the formation, by condensation and...

The lunar features next in order of conspicuity are the mountain ranges, peaks, and hill-chains, a class of eminences more in common with terrestrial formations than the craters...

In our previous chapter we have given a reason for regarding as true volcanic craters all those circular formations, of whatever size, that exhibit that distinctive feature _the...

prefer a graphical to a numerical comparison, may judge of the sizes of the two bodies by the accompanying illustration (Fig. 10). To gain an idea of their distance from each ot...

We have not hitherto had occasion to refer to what we may term the physical elements of the moon: by which we mean the various data concerning form, size, weight, density, &c. o...

THE MOON AS A WORLD: DAY AND NIGHT UPON ITS SURFACE. 155 Existence of Habitants on other Planets—Interest of the Question—Conditions of Life—Absence of these from Moon—No Air or...

PLATE PAGE Gassendi _Frontispiece_ I.—Summit of Vesuvius 26 II.—Wrinkled Hand and Apple 30 III.—Full Moon Photograph 52 IV.—Picture-Map of the Moon {_To face each other._} V.—Sk...

THE MOON AS A SATELLITE: ITS RELATION TO THE EARTH AND MAN. 171 The Moon as a Luminary—Secondary Nature of Light-giving Function—Primary Office as a Sanitary Agent—Cleansing Eff...

ON LUNAR CRATERS. 89 Use of term Crater for Terrestrial and Lunar Formations—Truly Volcanic Nature of Lunar Craters—Terrestrial and Lunar Volcanic Areas compared—Similarity—Diff...

COLOUR AND BRIGHTNESS OF LUNAR DETAILS: CHRONOLOGY OF FORMATIONS, AND FINALITY OF EXISTING FEATURES. 143 Absence of Conspicuous Colour—Slight Tints of “Seas”—Cause—Probable Vari...

THE GENERAL ASPECT OF THE LUNAR SURFACE. 51 Pre-Telescopic Ideas—Human Countenance—Other supposed Resemblances—Portrait of Full Moon—Permanence of Features—Rotation of Moon—Sola...

THE SUBSEQUENT COOLING OF THE IGNEOUS BODY. 19 Cooling commenced from Outer Surface—Contraction by Cooling—Expansion of Molten Matter upon Solidification—Water not exceptional—S...

THE FORM, MAGNITUDE, WEIGHT, AND DENSITY OF THE LUNAR GLOBE. 31 Form of Moon—Not perfectly Spherical—Bulged towards Earth—Diameter—Angular Measure—Linear Measure—Parallax of Moo...

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE MOON. 65 Reasons for Mapping the Moon—Early Maps—Labours of Langreen—Hevelius—Riccioli—Cassini—Schroeter—Modern Maps—Lohrman’s—Beer and Maedler’s—Excellence of...

PEAKS AND MOUNTAIN RANGES. 124 Paucity of extensive Mountain Systems on Moon—Contrast with Earth—Lunar Mountains found in less disturbed Regions—Lunar Apennines, Caucasus, and A...

ON THE EXISTENCE OR NON-EXISTENCE OF A LUNAR ATMOSPHERE. 39 Subject of Controversy—Phenomena of Terrestrial Atmosphere—No Counterparts on Moon—Negative Evidence from Solar Eclip...

THE GENERATION OF COSMICAL HEAT. 11 Conservation of Force—Indestructibility of Force—Its Convertibility into Heat—Dawn of the Doctrine—Mayer’s Deductions—Joule’s Experiments—Mec...

CRACKS AND RADIATING STREAKS. 133 Description—Divergence from Focal Craters—Experimental Explanation of their Cause—Radial Cracking of Crust—Outflow of Matter therefrom—Analogy...

ON THE COSMICAL ORIGIN OF THE PLANETS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 1 Origination of Material Things—Celestial Vapours—Nebulæ—Their vast Numbers—Sir W. Herschel’s Observations and Classi...

ON THE GREAT RING-FORMATIONS NOT MANIFESTLY VOLCANIC. 117 Absence of Central Cones—Vast Diameters—Difficult of Explanation—Hooke’s Idea—Suggested Cause of True Circularity—Scrop...