Путешествие на Луну
Attack and Riposte
Tellme,mydearsir,doyouadmittheexistenceofvolcanoesonthemoon’ssurface?"
"Extinct,yes!Inactivity,no!"
"Thesevolcanoes,however,wereatonetimeinastateofactivity?"
"True,but,astheyfurnishthemselvestheoxygennecessaryforcombustion,themerefactoftheireruptiondoesnotprovethepresenceofanatmosphere."
"Proceedagain,then;andletussetasidethisclassofargumentsinordertocometodirectobservations.In1715theastronomersLouvilleandHalley,watchingtheeclipseofthe3rdofMay,remarkedsomeveryextraordinaryscintillations.Thesejetsoflight,rapidinnature,andoffrequentrecurrence,theyattributedtothunderstormsgeneratedinthelunaratmosphere."
"In1715,"repliedtheunknown,"theastronomersLouvilleandHalleymistookforlunarphenomenasomewhichwerepurelyterrestrial,suchasmeteoricorotherbodieswhicharegeneratedinourownatmosphere.Thiswasthescientificexplanationatthetimeofthefacts;andthatismyanswernow."
"Onagain,then,"repliedArdan;"Herschel,in1787,observedagreatnumberofluminouspointsonthemoon’ssurface,didhenot?"
"Yes!butwithoutofferinganysolutionofthem.Herschelhimselfneverinferredfromthemthenecessityofalunaratmosphere.AndImayaddthatBaeerandMaedler,thetwogreatauthoritiesuponthemoon,arequiteagreedastotheentireabsenceofaironitssurface."
Amovementwasheremanifestamongtheassemblage,whoappearedtobegrowingexcitedbytheargumentsofthissingularpersonage.
