THE SUPPOSED NEW CRATER ON THE MOON. 
143 
disappear, and as long as the solar rays fall thus perpendicularly 
on the surface they remain invisible. These are the very 
characteristics which marked the new crater which had been 
seen by Dr. Klein ; and his observations seemed to strongly in- 
dicate that a crater of this kind had suddenly made its appear- 
ance on the level plain north of Hyginus. This rendered the 
discovery still more extraordinary, for no similar formation was 
known to exist within nearly a thousand miles of this spot. In 
fact, it was supposed that they were strictly confined to a region 
in the far south-west of the moon. 
For some time Dr. Klein was unwilling to publicly announce 
his discovery, being well aware that the great majority of 
astronomers were of opinion that the period was long passed in 
which such changes were possible. He wrote, however, Dr. 
Julius F. Schmidt, the eminent selenographer of Athens, and 
he learnt from him that though he had frequently observed and 
drawn this portion of the moon at different times between the 
years 1860 and 1875, yet he had never seen any trace of such a 
crater. Shortly afterwards he learned that on again observing 
this region Dr. Schmidt had at once seen the new object 
described by Dr. Klein. He determined to publish an account 
of his observations. 
Dr. Klein sent an account of his discovery to the editor of 
the “ Journal of the Selenographical Society,” with the view 
of obtaining the co-operation of the members of the Society in 
observing this new object. At the same time he published an 
account of his discovery in two Herman astronomical periodicals, 
the “ Wochenschrift fur Astronomie” for March 27, 1878, and 
Sirius ” for April 1878. 
Dr. Klein’s announcement that a great black crater, about 
three miles in diameter, had suddenly made its appearance on 
the level plain to the north of Hyginus, where it formed as 
conspicuous an object as any in this region, instantly aroused 
the English selenographers. Every extant observation was 
examined, and every available drawing and map most carefully 
inspected, but no trace of a crater of this description could be 
found in the position assigned to it by Dr. Klein. It was thus 
certain that none of our leading selenographers had ever seen such 
an object, and this was justly regarded as tantamount to saying 
it could not have existed prior to 1876, for it was regarded as 
impossible that such a crater could have existed, and have escaped 
being seen by astronomers who had frequently observed very much 
smaller and far less conspicuous objects all around its place. It 
was further announced that Mr. Neison had repeatedly examined 
this region between 1870 and 1876, and was certain that there 
did not exist at that period a great black crater three miles in 
diameter, and as conspicuous as Hyginus, as the new object was 
