The moon hoax : $b or, A discovery that the moon has a vast population of human beings — John Locke — John Shaqi
The moon hoax : $b or, A discovery that the moon has a vast population of human beings
John Locke · en
which, on being exploded, were gathered around the immense body of
Saturn by the attraction of gravity, and yet kept from falling to its
surface by the great centrifugal force created by its extraordinary
rapidity on its axis. The inner ring was therefore the first of
these destroyed worlds (the former station of which in the system is
demonstrated in the argument which we subjoin), which was accordingly
carried round by the rotary force, and spread forth in the manner we
see. The outer ring is another world exploded in fragments, attracted
by the law of gravity as in the former case, and kept from uniting with
the inner ring by the centrifugal force of the latter. But the latter,
having a slower rotation than the planet, has an inferior centrifugal
force, and accordingly the space between the outer and inner ring is
nearly ten times less than that between the inner ring and the body of
Saturn. Having ascertained the mean density of the rings, as compared
with the density of the planet, Sir John Herschel has been enabled to
effect the following beautiful demonstration. [Which we omit, as too
mathematical for popular comprehension.--_Ed. Sun._]
Dr. Herschel clearly ascertained that these rings are composed of
rocky strata, the skeletons of former globes, lying in a state of wild
and ghastly confusion, but not devoid of mountains and seas. * * * *
The belts across the body of Saturn he has discovered to be the smoke
of a number of immense volcanoes, carried in these straight lines by
the extreme velocity of the rotary motion. * * * * [And these also
he has ascertained to be the belt of Jupiter.--But the portion of
the work which is devoted to this subject, and to the other planets,
as also that which describes the astronomer's discoveries among the
stars, is comparatively uninteresting to general readers, however
highly it might interest others of scientific taste and mathematical
acquirements.--_Ed. Sun._]
* * * * "It was not until the new moon of the month of March, that the
weather proved favorable to any continued series of lunar observations;
and Dr. Herschel had been too enthusiastically absorbed in
demonstrating his brilliant discoveries in the southern constellations,
and in constructing tables and catalogues of his new stars, to avail
himself of the few clear nights which intervened.