rrection.

There is one widely-credited myth about the moon which must be regarded
as devoid of foundation. The idea that our satellite and the weather
bear some relation has no doubt been entertained by high authority, and
appears to be an article in the belief of many an excellent mariner.
Careful comparison between the state of the weather and the phases of
the moon has, however, quite discredited the notion that any connection
of the kind does really exist.

We often notice large blank spaces on maps of Africa and of Australia
which indicate our ignorance of parts of the interior of those great
continents. We can find no such blank spaces in the map of the moon.
Astronomers know the surface of the moon better than geographers know
the interior of Africa. Every spot on the face of the moon which is as
large as an English parish has been mapped, and all the more important
objects have been named.

A general map of the moon is shown in Plate VI. It has been based upon
drawings made with small telescopes, and it gives an entire view of that
side of our satellite which is presented towards us. The moon is shown
as it appears in an astronomical telescope, which inverts everything, so
that the south is at the top and the north at the bottom (to show
objects upright a telescope requires an additional pair of lenses in the
eye-piece, and as this diminishes the amount of light reaching the eye
they are dispensed with in astronomical telescopes). We can see on the
map some of the characteristic features of lunar scenery. Those dark
regions so conspicuous in the ordinary full moon are easily recognised
on the map. They were thought to be seas by astronomers before the days
of telescopes, and indeed the name "Mare" is still retained, though it
is obvious that they contain no water at present. The map also shows
certain ridges or elevated portions, and when we apply measurement to
these objects we learn that they must be mighty mountain ranges. But the
most striking features on the moon are those ring-like objects which are
scattered over the surface in profusion. These are known as the lunar
craters.

To facilitate reference to the chief points of interest we have arranged
an index map (Fig. 27) which will give a clue to the names of the
several objects depicted upon the plate. The so-called seas are
represented by capital letters; so that A is the Mare Crisium, and H the
Oceanus Procellarum. The ranges of mountains are indi