This book and the accompanying map is chiefly intended for the use of
lunar observers, but it is hoped it may be acceptable to many who, though
they cannot strictly be thus described, take a general interest in
astronomy.
The increasing number of those who possess astronomical telescopes, and
devote more or less of their leisure in following some particular line of
research, is shown by the great success in recent years of societies,
such as the British Astronomical Association with its several branches,
the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and similar institutions in
various parts of the world. These societies are not only doing much in
popularising the sublimest of the sciences, but are the means of
developing and organising the capabilities of their members by
discouraging aimless and desultory observations, and by pointing out how
individual effort may be utilised and made of permanent value in almost
every department of astronomy.
The work of the astronomer, like that of the votary of almost every other
science, is becoming every year more and more specialised; and among its
manifold subdivisions, the study of the physical features of the moon is
undoubtedly increasing in popularity and importance. To those who are
pursuing such observations, it is believed that this book will be a
useful companion to the telescope, and convenient for reference.
Great care has been taken in the preparation of the map, which, so far as
the positions of the various objects represented are concerned, is based
on the last edition of Beer and Madler's chart, and on the more recent
and much larger and elaborate map of Schmidt; while as regards the shape
and details of most of the formations, the author's drawings and a large
number of photographs have been utilised. Even on so small a scale as
eighteen inches to the moon's diameter, more detail might have been
inserted, but this, at the expense of distinctness, would have detracted
from the value of the map for handy reference in the usually dim light of
the observatory, without adding to its utility in other ways. Every named
formation is prominently shown; and most other features of interest,
including the principal rill-systems, are represented, though, as regards
these, no attempt is made to indicate all their manifold details and
ramifications, which, to do effectually, would in very many instances
require a map on a much larger scale than any that has yet appeared.
The insertion of meridian lines and parallels of latitude at every ten
degrees, and the substitution of names for reference numbers, will add to
the usefulness of the map.
With respect to the text, a large proportion of the objects in the
Catalogue and in the Appendix have been observed and drawn by the author
many times during the last thirty years, and described in _The
Observatory_ and other publications. He has had, besides, the advantage
of consulting excellent sketches by Mr W.H. MAW, F.R.A.S., Dr. SHELDON,
F.R.A.S., Mr. A. MEE, F.R.A.S., Mr. G.P. HALLOWES, F.R.A.S., Dr. SMART,
F.R.A.S., Mr. T. GORDON, F.R.A.S., Mr. G.T. DAVIS, Herr BRENNER, Herr
KRIEGER, Mr. H. CORDER, and other members of the British Astronomical
Association. Through the courtesy of Professor HOLDEN, Director of the
Lick Observatory, and M. PRINZ, of the Royal Observatory of Brussels,
many beautiful photographs and direct photographic enlargements have been
available, as have also the exquisite heliogravures received by the
author from Dr. L. WEINEK, Director of the Imperial Observatory of
Prague, and the admirable examples of the photographic work of MM. PAUL
and PROSPER HENRY of the Paris Observatory, which are occasionally
published in _Knowledge_. The numerous representations of lunar objects
which have appeared from time to time in that storehouse of astronomical
information, _The English Mechanic_, and the invaluable notes in
"Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes," and in various periodicals, by
the late REV. PREBENDARY WEBB, to whom Selenography and Astronomy
generally owe so much, have also been consulted.
As a rule, all the more prominent and important features are described,
though very frequently interesting details are referred to which, from
their minuteness, could not be shown in the map. The measurements (given
in round numbers) are derived in most instances from NEISON'S (Nevill)
"Moon," though occasionally those in the introduction to Schmidt's chart
are adopted.
THOMAS GYWN ELGER.
BEDFORD, 1895.