THE SUPPOSED NEW CRATER ON THE MOON. 
141 
looked it. In this region there are a number of small craters 
only a mile or so in diameter, and requiring a good telescope 
and steady air to be seen with ease. The day was not favour- 
able, and only one of these craters could be seen, yet this strange 
object was most conspicuous and nearly three miles in diameter. 
Dr. Klein had often seen the small craters, but he had never 
before seen this great black crater-like object ; and it appeared 
certain to him that he could not have so often seen these small 
craters and yet have overlooked this great giant right in their 
very midst. Was this crater new f 
The great importance of this observation could not be over- 
looked. It strongly pointed to a new volcanic eruption on the 
lunar surface. That the object must be new seemed certain to 
Dr. Klein, for he could not see how it could have been over- 
looked not only by himself, but by all those who had previously 
observed, drawn, or mapped this region. It was not seen for 
a certainty by Schroter, Lohrmann, Grruithuisen, Madler, or 
Neison, or they would have mentioned or drawn it in their 
works on the moon. Was it new ? Had it been reserved for 
him to give to astronomers what they demanded before changing 
their opinion, a decisive proof of a visible real physical change 
on the lunar surface ? 
It must have been with anxiety and impatience that Dr. 
Klein awaited the next night, when he might again see this 
strange formation, for during the night all sorts of doubts and 
difficulties must have sprung up. But the weather was un- 
favourable, and he could not resume his observations. Day after 
day went on, and clouds still prevented his continuing his 
observations, so that he was compelled to wait for the next 
lunation. 
June 18 was the first day that this portion of the moon would 
be seen under a low illumination, though even then under far 
less favourable conditions than on May 19. The day arrived 
and it was fine, and Dr. Klein turned his telescope on this 
region. Had or had there not been some extraordinary error 
in his last observation ? Would or would he not see a great black 
crater where no such crater had been seen before ? He looked, 
and in the place where the crater had been visible on the pre- 
vious occasion, there appeared a great black spot with an ill- 
defined nebulous border. Was this the great black crater? 
It was certainly in the right place, and near it he could see the 
small craters which he had so often seen before. Still on the 
previous occasion he had seen a distinct crater-like formation, 
whereas all that was now visible was a blackish spot. It was 
true that the sun was considerably higher now than before, 
which would tend to mask the crater-like appearance of the 
formation. This variation was very perplexing, was this object 
really a crater or merely a blackish spot ? In either case it 
