THE LUNAR WORLD. 83 



much interest to inquire whether some of these other globes 

 may not also be tenanted by organic life. To solve this 

 question we naturally turn first to the globe which is most 

 easily accessible to our instruments ; of course, this is the 

 moon, which is always at a distance of less than a hundredth 

 part of that of any other globe in the sky. The results of a 

 telescopic investigation, conducted from this point of view, 

 are, however, somewhat disappointing to those who would 

 expect to find inhabitants elsewhere. We cannot detect 

 on our satellite the slightest trace of organic life. Further 

 reflection will, however, show that little more could have 

 been expected. Even if the moon had contained living 

 objects resembling those on the earth, no telescope could 

 reveal them, for though it is no doubt true that the moon 

 is our closest neighbour in the celestial host, yet we must 

 recollect that it is still two hundred and forty thousand 

 miles away. 



A moderate telescope will show the moon as if its 

 distance were only a tenth part of its actual amount. A 

 good telescope might reduce the apparent distance to about 

 one hundredth part, while when we employ one of the 

 greatest instruments to scrutinise our satellite we are able 

 to see it as if it were brought within a thousandth part of 

 that distance, by which it is actually separated from us. 

 An instrument capable of achieving so much lends greatly 

 augmented power to human vision. Each thousand miles 

 seems thus reduced to one mile, but as there are two 

 hundred and forty of these thousands in the distance of the 

 moon, the fact still remains that the utmost efforts of the 

 most potent lenses known to the astronomer can only 

 reduce the apparent distance of the moon to about two 



