THE MOON 75 



54. THE MOON 



The nearest heavenly body, which arouses our curiosity 

 more than other bodies on account of its apparent size, is our 

 one satellite, the moon. It is quite probable that the moon 

 was once part of the earth, while the crust of the earth was 

 still very thin. Perhaps the earth was of irregular shape, and 

 the moon was one of the large irregularities, and was thus 

 thrown off, something like mud from the tire of a wheel. The 

 moon shines 'by reflected light, and since the relation and 

 position of the earth, moon, and sun are constantly changing, 

 part of the moon is in shadow and part in light, and we see 

 its different phases. The moon revolves around the earth 

 every twenty-seven and one-third days, and also rotates on 

 its axis in the same time. Thus we have never seen but one 

 side of the moon. 



The moon is now cold and has practically no water on it. 

 Therefore it has no vegetation, and we have an example of a 

 dead planet; for, in essential respects, the moon has every 

 characteristic of a planet. The surface of the moon shows 

 the result of vast volcanic action, which proves that the moon 

 once was hot, but gradually lost all its heat. 



References : 



1. 1002 : 247-249. The Moon's Phases. 



2. 1002 : 251-254. Distance, Orbit, Rotation of the Moon. 



3. 1002 : 254-260. Size, Mass, Density, Atmosphere, of the 



Moon. 



4. 1002 : 264-268. General Surface Conditions of the Moon. 



5. 1002 : 271. Effects of Moon on the Earth, 

 a. 1001 : 88. The Moon. 



6. 1001 : 93-94. The Moon's Distance. 



c. 1001 : 97-98. Diameter, Mass, Rotation, of the Moon. 



d. 1001 : 103-110. The Physical Characteristics of the Moon. 



