The Moon eBook

Thomas Gwyn Elger
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 240 pages of information about The Moon.

The Moon eBook

Thomas Gwyn Elger
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 240 pages of information about The Moon.

LONGOMONTANUS.—­A much larger walled-plain, S. of the last.  It is 90 miles in diameter, with a border much broken by depressions, especially on the N.E.  At one peak on this side it rises to the tremendous altitude of 13,000 feet above the floor, and at peaks on the W. more than 1000 feet higher.  There is a crowd of ring-plains on the N.E. quarter of the interior, and some hills and craterlets in other parts of it.  It is also crossed by rays from Tycho.

SCHILLER.—­A fine lozenge-shaped enclosure, with a continuous but somewhat irregular border.  It is about 112 miles in extreme length, and rather more than half this in breadth.  The loftiest section of the wall is on the W., where it rises 13,000 feet above a considerably depressed interior.  There is a bright crater on this side and some terraces.  On the broad inner slope of the E. border, the summit ridge of which is especially well-marked, there is a large shallow depression.  The floor contains scarcely any detail, except some ridges on the N. side and a few craterlets.  The great bright plain E. of Schiller and the region on the S.E. are especially worthy of scrutiny under a low morning sun.

BAYER.—­This object, 29 miles in diameter, with a terraced border rising on the W. to a height of 8000 feet above the floor, is so closely associated with Schiller, that it may almost be regarded as forming part of it.  A long lofty mountain arm, apparently connected with the W. wall of the latter, runs from the E. side of Bayer towards the N.W.  There is a crater on the E. side of the interior.

ROST.—­An oblong-shaped ring-plain, 30 miles in diameter, on the S.W. of Schiller, with moderately high walls, and, according to Neison, a shallow depression within, nearly central.  I have seen a crater shown by Schmidt on the E. side of the floor.  A valley runs from the E. side of Rost to the S. of Schiller.

WEIGEL.—­A not very conspicuous ring-plain on the S. of Schiller, with a crater on its N.W. rim, and a larger ring adjoining it on the S.E.  A prominent curved mountain arm from the E. wall of Schiller runs towards the N. side of this formation.

BLANCANUS.—­A formation, 50 miles in diameter, on the S.E. side of Clavius, whose surpassing beauties tend to render the less remarkable features of this magnificent ring-plain and those of its neighbour Scheiner less attractive than they otherwise would be.  The crest of its finely terraced wall, which at one peak on the E. rises to 18,000 feet, is at least 12,000 feet above the interior.  Krieger saw twenty craters on the floor (1894, Sept. 21, 13h.), most of them situated on the S. quarter.

SCHEINER.—­A still larger object, being nearly 70 miles in diameter, with a prominently terraced wall, fully as lofty as that of Blancanus.  There is a large crater, nearly central, two others on the N.E. side of the floor, and a fourth at the inner foot of the E. wall.  There is also a shallow ring on the N.E. slope.  Schmidt shows, but far too prominently, two straight ridges crossing each other on the S. side of the central crater.

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The Moon from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.