File:Uranography. and Atlas (1850) (14782765632).jpg

Identifier: uranographyatlas00kend (find matches)
Title: Uranography. & Atlas
Year: 1850 (1850s)
Authors: Kendall, Bzra O. (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: (n.p.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ds the earth,and sometimes the other; so that we occasionallysee more or less of her northern and southern polarregions : this is called her libration in latitude, andamounts to about 5^ degrees at each pole. From the simultaneous motion of the moon uponher axis and in her orbit, it is evident that she canhave but one day and one night in one of our lu-nar months; and as she encompasses the earthnot quite thirteen times during his progress roundthe sun, it is equally manifest that her year issomewhat less than thirteen of her days. And asher axis is almost perpendicular to the plane ofthe ecliptic, she can have little diversity of sea-sons, or of length of days. The earth, as already remarked, reflects thesuns rays upon the moon, in the same mannerthat the moon reflects them to the earth; but, inconsequence of the coincidence of motion betweenthe two bodies, only one half of the moon everreceives the reflection of the earth, and that halfis of course never in total darkness; for, when
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Phases of the Moon. THE MOON. 235 turned from the sun, it is illuminated by light re-flected from the earth, in the same manner as weare enlightened by a full moon; but the otherhemisphere of the moon has a fortnights light anda fortnights darkness, alternately. Hence theinhabitants (if any) of one half of the moon neversee the earth, unless they travel to gratify theircuriosity; for which purpose those on the meri-dian, opposite to the middle of the enlighteneddisc, would have to go more than 1700 miles; buttheir trouble would be more than compensated bythe sight of an illumined body thirteen times thesize of their own globe, and which would appearto them the largest body in the universe. The sun and stars rise and set, to the inhabit-ants of the moon, in the same manner as they doto us. PHASES OF THE MOOtf. The moon being, like the other planets, a darkor opaque body, enlightened by the sun, can onlybe illuminated on one of her sides at a time; andhence the different appearances, or

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