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Permissive Limits of Ignorance and Belief in the United States
Buttheonlyzonesoftheglobeinwhichthemoonpassesthezenith,thatis,thepointdirectlyovertheheadofthespectator,areofnecessitycomprisedbetweenthetwenty-eighthparallelsandtheequator.Hencetheimportanceoftheadvicetotrytheexperimentuponsomepointofthatpartoftheglobe,inorderthattheprojectilemightbedischargedperpendicularly,andsothesoonestescapetheactionofgravitation.Thiswasanessentialconditiontothesuccessoftheenterprise,andcontinuedactivelytoengagethepublicattention.
Regardingthepathdescribedbythemooninherrevolutionroundtheearth,theCambridgeObservatoryhaddemonstratedthatthispathisare-enteringcurve,notaperfectcircle,butanellipse,ofwhichtheearthoccupiesoneofthefoci.Itwasalsowellunderstoodthatitisfarthestremovedfromtheearthduringitsapogee,andapproachesmostnearlytoitatitsperigee.
SuchwasthentheextentofknowledgepossessedbyeveryAmericanonthesubject,andofwhichnoonecoulddecentlyprofessignorance.Still,whiletheseprincipleswerebeingrapidlydisseminatedmanyerrorsandillusoryfearsprovedlesseasytoeradicate.
Forinstance,someworthypersonsmaintainedthatthemoonwasanancientcometwhich,indescribingitselongatedorbitroundthesun,happenedtopassneartheearth,andbecameconfinedwithinhercircleofattraction.
