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Reply from the Observatory of Cambridge
Onthereceiptofyourfavorofthe6thinstant,addressedto
theObservatoryofCambridgeinthenameofthemembersofthe
BaltimoreGunClub,ourstaffwasimmediatelycalledtogether,
anditwasjudgedexpedienttoreplyasfollows:
Thequestionswhichhavebeenproposedtoitarethese—
"1.Isitpossibletotransmitaprojectileuptothemoon?
"2.Whatistheexactdistancewhichseparatestheearthfromitssatellite?
"3.Whatwillbetheperiodoftransitoftheprojectilewhenendowedwithsufficientinitialvelocity?and,consequently,atwhatmomentoughtittobedischargedinorderthatitmaytouchthemoonataparticularpoint?
"4.Atwhatprecisemomentwillthemoonpresentherselfinthemostfavorablepositiontobereachedbytheprojectile?
"5.Whatpointintheheavensoughtthecannontobeaimedatwhichisintendedtodischargetheprojectile?
"6.Whatplacewillthemoonoccupyintheheavensatthemomentoftheprojectile’sdeparture?"
Regardingthefirstquestion,"Isitpossibletotransmitaprojectileuptothemoon?"
Answer.—Yes;provideditpossessaninitialvelocityof1,200yardspersecond;calculationsprovethattobesufficient.Inproportionaswerecedefromtheearththeactionofgravitationdiminishesintheinverseratioofthesquareofthedistance;thatistosay,atthreetimesagivendistancetheactionisninetimesless.
