The moon : $b a full description and map of its principal physical featuresElger, Thomas Gwyn
Science
The moon : $b a full description and map of its principal physical features
Elger, Thomas Gwyn
Moon
TAYLOR.--A deep spindle-shaped ring-plain, S. of Delambre, about 22 miles
in length. The wall appears to be everywhere continuous, except at the
extreme N. and S. ends, where there are small craters. The outer slopes,
both on the E. and W., are very broad and prominent, but apparently not
terraced. There is an inconspicuous central hill. On the W. is the
irregular enclosure, already referred to under Alfraganus. Three or four
short winding valleys traverse the N. edge of this formation, and descend
to the dark floor. On the N.E. is the remarkable ring-plain Taylor _a_,
18 miles in diameter, rising, at an almost isolated mountain mass on the
E. border, to a height of 7000 feet above the interior. The more regular
and W. section of this formation is not so lofty, and falls with a gentle
slope to the dark uneven floor, on which there is some detail in the
shape of small bright ridges and mounds. On the surface, N.W. of Taylor
_a_, is a curious linear row of bright little hills. Taylor and the
vicinity is better seen under low evening illumination than under morning
light.
HIPPARCHUS.--Except under a low sun, this immense walled-plain is by no
means so striking an object as a glance at its representation on a chart
of the moon would lead one to expect; for the border, in nearly every
part of it, bears unmistakable evidence of wreck and ruin, its continuity
being interrupted by depressions, transverse valleys, and gaps, and it
nowhere attains a great altitude. This imperfect enclosure extends 97
miles from N. to S., and about 88 miles from E. to W., and in shape
approximates to that of a rhombus with curved sides. One of the most
prominent bright craters on its border is Hipparchus G, on the W.
Another, of about the same size, is Hipparchus E, on the N. of Horrocks.
On the E. there is a moderately bright crater, Hipparchus F; and S. of
this, on the same side, two others, K and I. The interior is crossed by
many ridges, and near the centre includes the relics of a low ring,
traversed by a narrow rill-like valley. Schmidt shows a cleft running
from F across the floor to the S. border.
[A valuable monograph of Hipparchus, by Mr. W.B. Birt, was published in
1870.]
HORROCKS.--This fine ring-plain, 18 miles in diameter, stands on the N.
side of the interior of Hipparchus, close to the border. It has a
continuous wall, rising on the E. to a height of nearly 8000 feet above
the interior, and a distinct central mountain.
HALLEY.--A ring-plain, 21 miles in diameter, on the S.W. border of
Hipparchus, with a bright wall, rising at one point on the E. to a height
of 7500 feet above the floor, which is depressed about 4000 feet below
the surface. Two craterlets on the floor, one discovered by Birt on
Rutherfurd's photogram of 1865, and the other by Gaudibert, raised a
suspicion of recent lunar activity within this ring. A magnificent
valley, shown in part by Schmidt as a crater-row, runs from the S. of
Halley to the W. side of Albategnius.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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