Путешествие на Луну
Attack and Riposte
Themeetingbegantobesomewhatfidgetyalso,forthecontestdirectedtheirattentiontothedangers,ifnottheactualimpossibilities,oftheproposedexpedition.
"Sir,"repliedArdan’santagonist,"therearemanyandincontrovertiblereasonswhichprovetheabsenceofanatmosphereinthemoon.Imightsaythat,apriori,ifoneeverdidexist,itmusthavebeenabsorbedbytheearth;butIprefertobringforwardindisputablefacts."
"Bringthemforwardthen,sir,asmanyasyouplease."
"Youknow,"saidthestranger,"thatwhenanyluminousrayscrossamediumsuchastheair,theyaredeflectedoutofthestraightline;inotherwords,theyundergorefraction.Well!Whenstarsareoccultedbythemoon,theirrays,ongrazingtheedgeofherdisc,exhibitnottheleastdeviation,noroffertheslightestindicationofrefraction.Itfollows,therefore,thatthemooncannotbesurroundedbyanatmosphere.
"Inpointoffact,"repliedArdan,"thisisyourchief,ifnotyouronlyargument;andareallyscientificmanmightbepuzzledtoanswerit.Formyself,Iwillsimplysaythatitisdefective,becauseitassumesthattheangulardiameterofthemoonhasbeencompletelydetermined,whichisnotthecase.Butletusproceed.
