From the Earth to the Moon

e board-room of the Gun Club. There, after some discussion, it was agreed to consult the astronomers regarding the astronomical part of the enterprise.

celebrated for its astronomical staff. There are to be found assembled all the most eminent men of science. Here is to be seen at work that powerful telescope which enabled Bond to resolve the nebula of Andromeda, and Clarke to disco

ed in the fo

Cambridge Observat

n Club at

GE, Oct

ur favor of the 6th

ambridge in the name

our staff was immedi

d expedient to r

h have been propos

to transmit a proje

tance which separates the

sufficient initial velocity? and, consequently, at what moment ought it t

present herself in the most favorable p

the cannon to be aimed at which is i

upy in the heavens at the moment

“Is it possible to transmit

s a given distance the action is nine times less. Consequently, the weight of a shot will decrease, and will become reduced to zero at the instant that the attraction of the moon exactly counterpoises that of the earth; that is to say at 4752 of its passage. At that instant the proj

is the exact distance which separ

e earth; in astronomical language, it is at one time in apogee, at another in perigee. Now the difference between its greatest and its least distance is too considerable to be left out of consideration. In point of fact, in its apogee the moon is 247

third q

tial velocity will be continually decreasing, it will occupy 300,000 seconds, that is 83hrs. 20m. in reaching the point where the attraction of the earth and moon will be in equilibrio. From this

se moment will the moon present herself

be that the final passage remaining to be accomplished will be 214,976 miles. But although the moon passes her perigee every month, she does not reach the zenith always at exactly the same moment. She does not appear under these two conditions simultaneously, except at long intervals of time. It will be necessary, therefore, to wait for

what point in the heavens o

ss beyond the range of the terrestrial attraction. But, in order that the moon should reach the zenith of a given place, it is necessary that the place should not exceed in latitude the declination of the luminar

ill the moon occupy in the heavens at t

. But, inasmuch as it is equally necessary to take into account the deviation which the rotary motion of the earth will impart to the shot, and as the shot cannot reach the moon until after a deviation equal to 16 radii of the earth, which, calculated upon the moon’s orbit, are equal to about eleven degrees, it becomes n

s proposed to the Observatory of Camb

sum

nted in a country situated betw

inted directly toward

propelled with an initial velo

t 10hrs. 46m. 40sec. of the 1st

charge, precisely at midnight on the 4th of Decemb

be prepared to set to work at the moment determined upon; for, if they should suffer this 4th of December to go by, they wil

eir disposal in respect of all questions of theoretical astronomy; and

stronomic

. BE

he Observator