clher heavenly Bodies, have Ahmfpheres. 17^ 



folar ecllpfe of 1669, nothing of the kind was difcovered ; 

 and this was the cafe in regard to that of 1706, which Hof- 

 mann obferved at Bcrhn. Tobias Mayer, alfo, during the 

 great total eclipfe of the fun in 1748, though he made his 

 obfervation with the utmoft attention, could perceive no fuch 

 thing. 



I mufl now fay a few words refpe6ling the fifth and fixtli 

 proofs. The caufe of both thefe phenomena lies, no doubt, 

 in our atmofphere, and not in that of the moon; for the 

 phenomena have been feen in one place and not in .an- 

 other. 



Thefe are the grounds on which the exigence of the lunar 

 atmofphere may be contefted : but it appears to me, that we 

 fliould decide too rafhly were we to deny altogether that the 

 moon has an atmofphere ; for wq may ftill admit one, though 

 it may be of fuch a nature as to elude our fenfes. There 

 are many things in nature which our imperfeft organs of 

 fenfe are incapable of perceiving ; but it would be ridiculous 

 , on that account to deny their exiftence, I need only requeft 

 the reader to recolIciSl the phenomena of general gravity or 

 attraftion, magnetifm, &c. This much, at any rate, is cer- 

 tain, that if the moon has an atmofphere, it muft be of a 

 nature totally different from that of our earth. This will 

 appear the more evident, if we confider that, according to all 

 the obfervations hitherto made, the moon does not abound 

 with fuch feas and rivers as our earth. M. Schroter conjec- 

 tures, that as the moon, in regard to the fun, turns round her 

 axis only once in 29 days 12 hours, this monthly change of 

 day and night may probably have a conliderable influence on 

 the lunar atmofphere, and fupply the place of our feafons. 

 Of this he is the more convinced by the monthly change in 

 the colour and fpots of the moon which he has remarked. 

 The atmofphere of the moon muft be different from that of 

 the earth, not only in regard to its brightnefs and tranfpa- 

 rency, but alfo in regard to its power of weakening and break- 

 ing the ravs of light. But on this fubjeil nothing dccifivc caa 

 be obtained from all the obfervations hitherto made *. 



• See Schrotci's Obfervaiions on the Atmofphere of ihe Moon in the 

 Catling, gel. A/izeig. 1791, No. 8(>. 



We 



