The Moon Part 12

OKEN.--A large enclosure in S. lat. 43 deg. with broken irregular walls.

It is too near the limb for observation.

VEGA.--Schmidt represents this peculiar formation, situated S.E. of Oken, as having a regular curved unbroken rampart on the E., while the opposite border is occupied by four large partially overlapping ring-plains, two of which contain small craters. The floor is devoid of detail.

PONTECOULANT.--A great irregular walled plain, about 100 miles in length, near the S.W. limb, with a border rising in places to a height of 6000 feet above the floor.

HANNO.--A smaller and more regular enclosure, adjoining Pontecoulant on the N.W., and still nearer the limb.

WEST LONGITUDE 60 deg. TO 40 deg.

MESSIER.--The more westerly of a remarkable pair of bright craters, about 9 miles in diameter, standing in an isolated position in the Mare Foecunditatis just S. of the Equator. Madler represents them as similar in every respect, but Webb, observing them in 1855 and 1856 with a 3 7/10 achromatic, found them very distinctly different,--Messier, the more westerly, being not only clearly smaller than its companion, but longer from W. to E. than from N. to S., as it undoubtedly is at the present time. Messier A, however, as the companion is termed, though larger, is certainly not circular, as sometimes shown, but triangular with curved sides. It is just possible that change may have occurred here, for Madler carefully observed these objects more than three hundred times, and, it may be presumed, under very different phases. Messier A is the origin of two slightly divergent light streaks, resembling a comet's tail, which extend over the Mare towards its E. border N. of Lubbock, and are crossed obliquely by a narrower streak. Messier and Messier A stand near the S.

and narrowest end of a tapering curved light area. There is a number of craterlets and minute pits in the neighbourhood, and under a high light two round dusky spots are traceable in connection with the "comet"

marking, one just beyond its northern, and the other beyond its southern border, near its E. extremity.

LUBBOCK.--A brilliant little crater, about 4 or 5 miles in diameter, near the E. coast-line of the Mare Foecunditatis. The region E. of this object is particularly well worthy of scrutiny under a low sun, on account of the variety of detail it includes. On the S.E. run three fine parallel clefts, originating near the N. end of the Pyrenees.

GUTTEMBERG.--A very fine ring-plain of peculiar shape, about 45 miles in width, with a lofty wall, broken on the N.W. by another ring-plain some 14 miles in diameter, and on the S.E. by a small but distinct crater. The border presents a wide opening towards the S., which is traversed by a number of longitudinal valleys, both the E. and W. sections of the wall being prolonged in this direction. A fine crater-row runs round the outer slope of the E. wall, from the crater just mentioned to the N. side of the formation. It is best seen when the W. wall is on the evening terminator. There is also a broad valley on the S. prolongation of the W.

wall. The central mountain is bright but not large. A cleft crosses the N.W. side of the floor. North of Guttemberg there is a curious oblong formation with low walls, connected with the N.E. border by a ridge, and with the N. border by a remarkable row of depressions, situated on a mound; and beyond this object on the E. are three parallel clefts running towards the N.E. On the W. will be found some of the clefts belonging to the Goclenius rill-system. In the rugged region S.E. of the formation is a peculiar low ring with a very uneven floor and a large central hill.

The E. wall of Guttemberg may be regarded as forming a portion of the Pyrenees Mountains.

GOCLENIUS.--A ring-plain, about 28 miles in diameter, bearing much resemblance to Plinius in form and size, and, like this formation, a.s.sociated with a fine system of clefts. The lofty rampart, tolerably continuous on the W., is broken on the S.W. by a bright crater, and on the N.W. by a remarkable triangular depression. It is also traversed by a delicate valley extending from the crater on the S.W. to another on the N.W. border; and at a point a little W. of the first crater is dislocated by an intrusive ma.s.s of rock. There are several gaps on the E. and many spurs and irregularities in outline both within and without. A great portion of the N. wall is linear, and joins the E. section nearly at right angles. West of the triangular depression it appears to be partially wrecked, indications of the destruction being very evident if it be observed when the E. wall is near the morning terminator. The small bright central mountain is remarkable for its curious oblong shadow. Two clefts traverse the interior of Goclenius. (1) Originates at the S. wall, E. of the crater, and runs E. of the central mountain to the N. wall; (2) crosses the _debris_ of the ruined N.W. border, runs parallel to the first, and extends nearly to the centre of the floor, (1) Re-appears at the foot of a mound outside the N. wall, and, after crossing the outer W.

slope of the great ring-plain on the N.W. wall of Guttemberg, runs to the W. side of an oblong formation N. of it. There are two other clefts, closely parallel and W. of this, traversing the Mare, and terminating among the mountains on the N.W. These are crossed at right angles by what appears to be a "fault," running in a N.W. direction from the W. side of Guttemberg.

MACCLURE.--One of a curious group of formations situated in the Mare Foecunditatis some distance S.W. of Goclenius. It is a bright ring-plain, about 15 miles in diameter, with a narrow gap in the N.E. wall and a small central hill. A prominent ridge runs up to the N. border; and on the S.W. a rill-valley may be traced, extending S. to a bright deep little crater W. of Cook.

CROZIER.--A conspicuous ring-plain a few miles N.N.W. of MacClure, and of about the same size. It has a faint central hill. Neison refers to two long straight streaks extending from Crozier towards Messier.

BELLOT.--A brilliant little ring-plain N.E. of Crozier.

COOK.--A ring-plain, about 25 miles in diameter, on the E. side of the Mare Foecunditatis in S. lat. 17 deg., with low and (except on the S.E.) very narrow walls. There is a small circular depression on the S. border, and a prominent crater on the W. side of the dark interior. On the S.S.E.

is the curiously shaped enclosure Cook _d_, with very bright broad lofty walls and a fine central mountain. On the plain W. of Cook is a conspicuous crater-row, consisting of six or seven craters, diminishing in size in both directions from the centre.

COLOMBO.--A fine ring-plain, about 50 miles in diameter, situated in the highlands separating the Mare Foecunditatis and the Mare Nectaris. The wall, rising at one place to a height of 8000 feet above the floor, is very complicated and irregular, being traversed within by many terraces, and almost everywhere by cross-valleys. Its shape is greatly distorted by the large ring-plain _a_, which abuts on its N.E. flank. It loses its individuality altogether on the S., its place being occupied by two large depressions, and lofty mountains trending towards the S.E. In the centre there are several distinct bright elevations.

MAGELHAENS.--The more northerly and the larger of a pair of ring-plains between Colombo and Goclenius, with a bright and somewhat irregular though continuous border. The dark interior includes a small central mountain. Its companion on the S.W., Magelhaens _a_, slightly overlaps it. This also has a central hill, and a crater on the outer slope of its E. wall.

SANTBECH.--A very prominent ring-plain, 46 miles in diameter, on the S.E.

side of the Mare Foecunditatis, W. of Fracastorius. The continuity of its fine lofty rampart is broken on the W., where it rises nearly 10,000 feet above the floor, by a brilliant little crater just below the crest, and by a narrow gap on the S. The wall on the E. towers to a height of 15,000 feet above the interior. On its broad outer slope, near the summit, there is a fine crater, and S. of this running obliquely down the slope a distinct valley. On the N.E., where the _glacis_ runs down to the level of the surrounding plain, there is a large crateriform object with a broken N. border, and a small crater opposite the opening. A long coa.r.s.e valley runs from this latter object in a N.E. direction to the region W.

of Bohnenberger. Santbech contains a prominent central peak.

BIOT.--A brilliant little ring-plain, scarcely more than 7 miles in diameter, standing in an isolated position in the Mare Foecunditatis N.E.

of Wrottesley. There is a number of bright streaks in its neighbourhood; and a few miles E. of it, in the hilly region W. of Santbech, another conspicuous crater of about the same size.

BORDA.--A ring-plain about 25 miles in diameter, S.S.W. of Santbech, with a rampart low on the N. and S., but elsewhere of considerable height, and a very conspicuous central mountain. A wide deep valley flanked by lofty mountains extends from the N. wall for many miles towards the N.W. It is an especially noteworthy object when the W. wall of Santbech is on the evening terminator, as its somewhat winding course, indicated by the bright summit-ridges of the bordering mountains, can be followed some hours before either the interior of the valley or the region between it and Santbech are in sunlight. Among the mountains W. of Borda there is a peak more than 11,000 feet in height.

SNELLIUS.--A very fine ring-plain, 50 miles in diameter, S.E. of Petavius, with terraced walls, considerably broken on the S.E. by craters, &c. It rises on the E. nearly 7000 feet above a dark floor, which contains a central mountain. N.E. of Snellius is a smaller ring- plain (Snellius _a_), and due E. a curious rough plateau, bordered on the N. and S. by a number of small craters.

STEVINUS.--A somewhat larger ring-plain, S. of Snellius, with a border rising on the S. to more than 11,000 feet above a dark interior, which includes a bright central mountain.

REICHENBACH.--A very abnormally-shaped ring-plain, about 30 miles in diameter, with a rampart nearly 12,000 feet high. The border is broken on the W., S., and E. by craters and depressions, and on the N. is flanked by two overlapping ring-plains, _a_ and _b_. On the S.W. lies a magnificent serpentine valley, fully 100 miles in length and about 12 miles in breadth at the N. end, but gradually diminishing as it runs southwards, till it reaches a depression N. of Rheita, where it terminates: here is scarcely more than 4 miles wide.

RHEITA.--A formation, about 35 miles in diameter, S. of Reichenbach, with regular lofty walls, rising at a peak on the N.E. to a height of more than 14,000 feet above the interior, on which there is a small but prominent central mountain, a smaller elevation W. of the centre, and two adjoining craters at the foot of the S. wall. On the E. originates another fine valley, very similar to that already mentioned in connection with Reichenbach. It runs in a S.S.W. direction, is about 100 miles in length, and, in its widest part, is about 12 miles across. Like the Reichenbach valley, it terminates at a small crater-like object, which has a border broken down on the side facing the valley, and a small central hill. About midway between its extremities, this great gorge is crossed by a wall of rock, like a narrow bridge.

JANSSEN.--An immense irregular enclosure, reminding one of the very similar area, bordered by Walter, Lexell, h.e.l.l, &c., in the third quadrant. It extends about 150 miles from E. to W., and more than 100 from N. to S., its limits on the N. being rather indefinite. Its very rugged humpy surface includes one great central mountain, and innumerable minor hills and ridges, craters, and crater-pits; but the princ.i.p.al feature is the magnificent curved rill-valley running from the S. side of Fabricius across the rough expanse to the S. side. This fine object, very coa.r.s.e on the N., pa.s.ses the central mountain on the E. side, and becomes gradually narrower as it approaches the border; before reaching which, another finer cleft branches from it on the W., and also runs to the S.

side of the plain.

LOCKYER.--A prominent deep ring-plain, 32 miles in diameter, with ma.s.sive bright lofty walls, standing just outside the S.E. border of Janssen.

Schmidt shows a minute crater on the S. rim. I have seen a crater within, at the inner foot of the W. wall, and a central peak.

FABRICIUS.--A ring-plain, 55 miles in diameter, with a lofty terraced border, rising on the S.W. to a height of nearly 10,000 feet above the interior. It is partially included by the rampart of Janssen, and the great rill-valley on the floor of the latter appears to cut through its S. wall. There is a long central mountain on the floor, with a prominent ridge extending along the E. side of it. W. of Fabricius (between it and the border of Janssen) lies a very irregular enclosure, with three distinct craters within it; and on the E., running from the wall to the E. side of Janssen, is a straight narrow valley. Both Fabricius and Janssen should be viewed under a low morning sun.

STEINHEIL.--A double ring-plain, W. of Janssen, 27 miles in diameter. The more easterly formation sinks to a depth of nearly 12,000 feet below the summit of the border.

METIUS.--This ring-plain, of about the same size as Fabricius, but with a still loftier barrier, abuts on the N. wall of this formation, and has caused a very obvious deformation in its contour. It is prominently terraced internally, and on the W. the wall rises at one peak to a height of 13,000 feet above the floor, which contains a deep crater on the W. of the centre, and many ridges.

BIELA.--A considerable ring-plain, about 55 miles in diameter, S.W. of Janssen, with a wall broken on the N.W., S., and E. by rings and large enclosures. There is a central mountain, but apparently no other details on the floor.

ROSENBERGER.--This formation, about 50 miles in diameter, is one of the remarkable group of large rings to which Vlacq, Hommel, Pitiscus, &c., belong. Its walls, though of only moderate alt.i.tude, are distinctly terraced. In addition to a prominent central mountain (E. of which Schmidt shows two craters), there is a large crater on the S. side of the floor, and many smaller craters and crater-pits.

HAGECIUS.--The most westerly member of the Vlacq group of formations. It is situated on the S.W. of Rosenberger, and is about 50 miles in diameter. The rampart on the E. is continuous and of the normal type, but on the opposite side is broken by a number of smaller rings.

WEST LONGITUDE 40 deg. TO 20 deg.

CENSORINUS.--A brilliant little crater, with very bright surroundings, in the Mare Tranquilitatis, nearly on the moon's equator, in W. long. 32 deg. 22 min. Another smaller but less conspicuous crater adjoins it on the W. On the Mare to the S. extends a delicate cleft which trends towards the Sabine and Ritter rill system.

CAPELLA.--Forms with Isodorus, its companion on the E. (which it partially overlaps), a very noteworthy object. It is about 30 miles in diameter, with finely terraced walls, broken on the S.W. by broad intrusive rill-valleys. The rampart on the N.E. is also cut through by a magnificent valley, which extends for many miles beyond the limits of the formation. There is a fine central mountain, on which M. Gaudibert discovered a crater, the existence of which has been subsequently verified by Professor Weinek on a Lick observatory negative.

ISODORUS.--The rampart of this fine ring-plain, which is of about the same size as Capella, rises at a peak on the W. to a height of more than 13,000 feet above the interior, which, except a small bright crater at the foot of the E. wall and a smaller one adjoining it on the N., contains no detail. The region between Isodorus and the equator includes many interesting objects, among them Isodorus _b_, an irregular formation open towards the N., and containing several craters.

BOHNENBERGER.--A ring-plain about 22 miles in diameter, situated on the W. side of the Mare Nectaris, under the precipitous flanks of the Pyrenees, whose prominent shadows partially conceal it for many hours after sunrise. The circular border is comparatively low, and, except on the N., continuous. Here there is a gap, and on the W. of it an intrusive ma.s.s of rock. From its very peculiar shadow at sunrise, the wall on the E. appears to be very irregular. The club-shaped central mountain is of considerable size, but not conspicuous. S. of Bohnenberger stands the very attenuated ring, Bohnenberger A. It is of about the same diameter, has a large deep crater on its N. rim, and a smaller one, distinguished with difficulty, on its S.E. rim. On the N. of Bohnenberger there is a bright little ring-plain connected with the formation by a lofty ridge, under the E. flank of which Schmidt shows a crater-chain. An especially fine cleft originates on the E. side of this crater, which, following an undulating course over the Mare Nectaris, terminates at Rosse, N. of Fracastorius.

TORRICELLI.--A remarkable little formation in the Mare Tranquilitatis, N.

of Theophilus, consisting of two unequal contiguous craters ranging from W. to E., whose part.i.tion wall has nearly disappeared, so that, under a low sun, when the interior of both is filled with shadow, the pair resemble the head of a javelin. The larger, western, ring is about 10 miles in diameter, and the other about half this size. There is a gap in the W. wall of the first, and a long spur projecting from its S. side; and a minute crater on the S. border of the smaller object. Torricelli is partially enclosed on the S. by a circular arrangement of ridges. There is a delicate cleft running in a meridional direction on the Mare, E. of the formation, and another on the N., running from W. to E.

HYPATIA.--A ring-plain, about 30 miles in extreme length, of very abnormal shape, on the E. side of the Mare, N.N.E. of Theophilus, with a wall rising at a peak on the E. to a height of more than 7000 feet above a dusky floor, which does not apparently contain any detail. A small crater breaks the uniformity of the border on the W. Beyond the wall on the S.E. lies the fine bright crater Hypatia A, with another less prominent adjoining it on the S.W.

THEOPHILUS.--The most northerly of three of the n.o.blest ring-mountains on the visible surface of the moon, situated on the N.E. side of the Mare Nectaris. It is nearly 64 miles in diameter, and is enclosed by a mighty rampart towering above the floor at one peak on the W. to the height of 18,000 feet, and at two other peaks on the opposite side to nearly 16,000 and 14,000. The border, though appearing nearly circular with low powers, is seen, under greater magnification, to be made up of several more or less linear sections, which give it a polygonal outline. It is prominently terraced within, the loftier terraces on the W. rising nearly to the height of the crest of the wall, and including several craters and elongated depressions. On the W. _glacis_ is a row of large inosculating craters; and near its foot, S.E. of Madler, a short unrecorded rill- valley. The magnificent bright central mountain is composed of many distinct ma.s.ses surmounted by lofty peaks, one of which is about 6000 feet above the floor, and covers an area of at least 300 square miles.

Except a distinct crater on the S.W. quarter, this appears to be the only object within the ring.

CYRILLUS.--The ma.s.sive border of Theophilus partially overlaps the N.W.

side of this great walled-plain, which is even more complex than that of its neighbour, and far more irregular in form, exhibiting many linear sections. Its crest on the S.E. is clearly inflected towards the interior, a peculiarity that has already been noticed in connection with Copernicus and some other objects. On the inner slope of this wall there is a large bright crater, in connection with which have been detected two delicate rills extending to the summit. I have not seen these, but one of the crater-rows shown by Schmidt, between this crater and the crest, has often been noted. The N.E. wall is very remarkable. It appears to be partially wrecked. If observed at an early stage of sunrise, a great number of undulating ridges and rows of hillocks will be seen crossing the region E. of Theophilus. They resemble a consolidated stream of "ropy" lava which has flowed through and over the wall and down the _glacis_. The arrangement of the ridges within Cyrillus is very noteworthy, as is also the triple mountain near the centre of the floor.

The fine curved cleft thereon traverses the W. side, sweeping round the central mountains, and then turning to the south. I have only occasionally seen it in its entirety. There are also two oblong dark patches on the S. side of the interior. The S. wall of Cyrillus is broken by a narrow pa.s.s opening out into a valley situated on the plateau which bounds the W. side of the oblong formation lying between it and Catherina, and overlooking a curious shallow square-shaped enclosure ab.u.t.ting on the S.W. side of Cyrillus.

CATHERINA.--The largest of the three great formations: a ring-plain with a very irregular outline, extending more than 70 miles in a meridional direction, and of still greater width. The wall is comparatively narrow and low on the N.E. (8000 feet above the floor), but on the N.W. it rises to more than double this height, and is broken by some large depressions.

The inner slope on the S.E. is very gentle, and includes two bright craters, but exhibits only slight indications of terraces. The most remarkable features on an otherwise even interior are the large low narrow ring (with a crater within it), occupying fully a third of the area of the floor, and a large ring-plain on the S. side.