THE CHANGES IN THE MOON.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 411, 16 October 1889, Page 6

THE CHANGES IN THE MOON.

Mr H. C. Russell, t the Government Astronomer of N. S. YV\, writes: — "This (Tuesday last) is the firso evening that the portion of the moon to be undergoing change has been visible. The cloudy weather at first and then the new moon prevented observation. Last evening (Monday) the aun rose on Plinius, but the part in question was still in shadow, and, therefore, invisible when the moon set. This afternoon at 4 o'clock I looked at' the moon and saw indistinctly, owing to the sunlight, two new central'craters". At 6 p.m. the sunlight had so far faded that it was possible to see the changes very distinctly with magnifying powers up to 400 ; I tried 800» which should, have shown more details, but the air, though clear, was not steady enough for such a power. The best drawing and description of Plinius makes it 32 miles in diameter, with no craters inside, but instead two well-detined central mountains. Nasmyth's beautiful photo of this model of the moon shows the same formation — that' is," two conspicuous central mountains and no small craters." Now all this is changed ; the two mountains have disappeared, and in- their places are two conspicupus craters, one of which is one mile and three-quarters,, in diameter and, .the other rather larger, while besides these is a third and much smaller crater, .and on the other.side what 1 think is a* fourth crater. One of the larger new cratere is surrounded by a very white wall, as if freshly thrown up. We were unable to see any signs of , eruption going on, thatis, as of flames or ejected matter, but there was more than a suspicion that the wall of one of the craters got larger during the evening. , However, this must wait confirmation. On, such small objects in the moon change of illumination makes su.ch' ia difference > that one might be deceived by it ; at present all the observations are not reduced, and I hope to ha\e more to say about it."

Outside Eden — " What makes you so cold, Eve?" inquired Adam, Bolicitously. "I rather think," she replied that it's due to the late fall."