“Do they all seem to radiate from one of the craters?”
“Yes,” said Jack. “And, my, but don’t they spread out for a distance, though?”
“Their nature is not perfectly understood,” explained Redfern. “It is generally believed that they are in some way connected with volcanic upheavals, but just exactly what story they have to tell no one knows.”
“Very strange,” murmured Jack.
“Don’t suppose that even Joe knows all about it,” remarked Fred Winter.
“Never looked through a telescope—that’s the reason,” retorted Preston, with a laugh.
“Don’t some of those craters look black, though?” said Jack.
“That’s due to the absence of any atmosphere on the moon,” commented Norman. “You know of course that there’s no water or vegetation to be found on its surface. If you were there, you would see no soft, hazy effects, nothing but a brilliant glare, intensely black shadows and sharp contrasts. Of course,” he added, “this is the general nature of all lunar landscapes—it would be modified to a greater or less degree by circumstances.”
“I had an idea it would be something like that,” came from Joe.
Fred really seemed to be hurt at such levity, but he said nothing, and looked at Redfern as if waiting for him to continue.