No. 12. September 4, 1903; Moon’s Age 13.27 Days.
“They certainly seem to be very ancient, and I cannot deny the possibility of what you say.”
“Very well, then, I, for my part, am convinced that curious eyes, filled with the light of intelligence, have peered down from the verge of that chasm into its fearful depths. If you will not permit me this flight of imagination I shall refuse to take any further interest in the moon.”
“Oh, I should not think of refusing. Imagine what you will, and draw your own inferences, only remembering that they are not supported by ascertained facts, and probably never will be. Yet for all that they may have an element of truth.”
“Pardon me for saying that your astronomical science, as far as it concerns the moon at least, does not seem to me quite satisfying. You are not bold enough in drawing conclusions.”
“On the contrary many astronomers think that some of their brethren are altogether too bold in that respect. However, it must be freely confessed that astronomical science, except perhaps in its mathematics, is not satisfying even to those who have created it. Nobody would rejoice more sincerely than the astronomer at the discovery of evidence of the former, or even the present, habitability of the moon. It is surely a great disappointment that we have not been able to settle so apparently simple a question in regard to our nearest neighbor in the sky.”
“Then if I were a multimillionaire I should certainly devote several of my millions to the construction of a telescope great and powerful enough to reveal so interesting a secret.”
“With your great telescope you could probably render possible many discoveries at present beyond our reach. But the mightiest telescope that you could make would enable no one to see inhabitants on the moon, even if they existed.”
“Not if it magnified the moon a million times?”
“No, for optical imperfections and the disturbances to clear vision produced by our atmosphere would absolutely prohibit the use of any such magnification. And even supposing that one could use a magnifying power of 1,000,000 diameters in viewing the moon, how near do you think that would place us to the lunar surface? It would still appear to be more than a quarter of a mile away.”