524 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



In conclusion it may be said that there has been no evi- 

 dence produced to show that the moon does influence 

 weather; while the studies that have been made indicate 

 that there is no constant relation between the moon's phases 

 and the weather. If the moon does have any influence on 

 the weather, it is so slight that it has not yet been detected. 



The matter is summarized in a bulletin published by the 

 United States Weather Bureau as follows : " A review of 

 the foregoing remarks and opinions regarding the applica- 

 tion of past and present astronomical and meteorological 

 knowledge to the theory and practice of long-range weather 

 forecasting leads to the following conclusions : 



" i. That systems of long-range weather forecasting that 

 depend upon planetary meteorology: moon phases, cycles, 

 positions, or movements ; stellar influences, or star divina- 

 tions ; indications afforded by observations of animals, birds 

 and plants; and estimates based upon days, months, sea- 

 sons, and years have no legitimate bases. 



"2. That meteorologists have made exhaustive examina- 

 tions and comparisons for the purpose of associating the 

 weather with the various phases and position of the moon 

 in an earnest endeavor to make advances in the science 

 along the line of practical forecasting and have found that 

 while the moon, and perhaps the planets, exert some in- 

 fluence upon atmospheric tides, the influence is too slight 

 and obscure to justify a consideration of lunar and planetary 

 effects in the actual work of forecasting." 



Appearance of surface. When looked at with a telescope 

 or even a field glass, the surface of the moon may be seen 

 clearly, and it shows some interesting features. The most 

 conspicuous one is the large number of volcanic craters 

 scattered over its surface. They are much more numerous 

 than on the earth. Thirty thousand craters have been 

 counted on the half of the moon turned towards us. Some 

 of these craters are over fifty miles in diameter, or more than 



