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It has been suggested that this peculiarity is due to the fact that the floor of Wargentin was formed by inflation from below, and that it has cooled and solidified in the shape of a gigantic dome arched over an immense cavity beneath. A dome of such dimensions, however, could not retain its form unless partly supported from beneath.
Cyran, and Duvillard, in France, with Euler, Suchmilch, and Wargentin, in Germany, were with great ability pressing the subject upon the notice of their countrymen. But these efforts led to no practical results, and it was reserved for England at a later day to illustrate the principles of life assurance, and enable the public to enjoy extensively its privileges.
Hence the contrast between the shadows of the peaks of the western wall on the floor at sunrise, and of the same peaks on the region west of the border at sunset is very marked. In Gassendi, Phocylides, and Wargentin we have similar notable departures from the normal type. The floor of the former on the north stands 2000 feet above the Mare Humorum.
Phocylides A, on the bright S.W. plain, is a large deep crater with a fine crater-row flanking it on the W. WARGENTIN. A most remarkable member of the Phocylides group, flanking the S.E. side of Schickard. Unlike the majority of lunar formations, its floor is raised considerably above the surrounding region, so that it resembles a shallow oval dish turned upside down.
Wargentin, the oval close to the moon's southeast limb, beyond Schickard, is a unique formation in that, instead of its interior being sunk below the general level, it is elevated above it.
Beyond the foot of the glacis on the S. a distinct cleft runs from a dusky spot to a group of small craters E. of Wargentin. There is a fine regular ring-plain with a small central mount W. of Inghirami. PINGRE. A ring-plain, about 18 miles in diameter, between Phocylides and the limb. HAUSEN. A ring-plain, close to the limb, N. of Bailly, which, but for its position, would be a fine object.
And more recently Sir David Brewster stated that Wargentin 'had in his possession a good achromatic telescope, which always showed Venus with such a satellite. But Hell admitted that the falsehood of the unreal Venus was easily detected, and Brewster adds to his account of Wargentin's phantom moon, that 'the deception was discovered by turning the telescope about its axis. As Admiral Smyth well remarks, to endeavour to explain away in this manner the observations made by Cassini and Short 'must be a mere pleasantry, for it is impossible such accurate observers could have been deceived by so gross a neglect. Smyth, by the way, was a believer in the moon of Venus.
In Phocylides, probably through "faulting," one portion of the interior suddenly sinks to a considerable depth below the remainder; while the very abnormal Wargentin has such an elevated floor, that, when viewed under favourable conditions, it reminds one of a shallow oval tray or dish filled with fluid to the point of overflowing.
The author commences with the Astronomical History of the Satellites. This history contains an almost complete analysis of the discoveries by Maraldi, by Bradley, by Wargentin. The labours of Galileo and his contemporaries are given with less detail and exactness.
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