Biographies of distinguished scientific men. First seriesArago, F. (François)
History
Biographies of distinguished scientific men. First series
Arago, F. (François)
Scientists -- Biography
The various parts of our satellite are not all equally reflecting. Here,
it may depend on the form, elsewhere, on the nature of the materials.
Those persons who have examined the moon with telescopes, know how very
considerable the difference arising from these two causes may be, how
much brighter one point of the moon sometimes is than those around it.
Now, it is quite evident that the relations of intensity between the
faint parts and the brilliant parts must continue to exist, whatever be
the origin of the illuminating light. In the portion of the lunar globe
that is illuminated by the sun, there are, everybody knows, some points,
the brightness of which is extraordinary compared to those around them;
those same points, when they are seen in that portion of the moon that
is only lighted by the earth, or in the ash-coloured part, will still
predominate over the neighbouring regions by their comparative
intensity. Thus we may explain the observations of the Slough
astronomer, without recurring to volcanoes. Whilst the great observer
was studying in the non-illuminated portion of the moon, the supposed
volcano of the 20th of April, 1787, his nine-foot telescope showed him
in truth, by the aid of the secondary rays proceeding from the earth,
even the darkest spots.
Herschel did not recur to the discussion of the supposed actually
burning lunar volcanoes, until 1791. In the volume of the _Philosophical
Transactions_ for 1792, he relates that, in directing a twenty-foot
telescope, magnifying 360 times, to the entirely eclipsed moon on the
22d of October, 1790, there were visible, over the whole face of the
satellite, about a hundred and fifty very luminous red points. The
author declares that he will observe the greatest reserve relative to
the similarity of all these points, their great brightness, and their
remarkable colour.
Yet is not red the usual colour of the moon when eclipsed, and when it
has not entirely disappeared? Could the solar rays reaching our
satellite by the effect of refraction, and after an absorption
experienced in the lowest strata of the terrestrial atmosphere, receive
another tint? Are there not in the moon, when freely illuminated, and
opposite to the sun, from one to two hundred little points, remarkable
by the brightness of their light? Would it be possible for those little
points not to be also distinguishable in the moon, when it receives only
the portion of solar light which is refracted and coloured by our
atmosphere?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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