WHEN THE MOON BREAKS UP

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIX, 30 January 1936, Page 3

WHEN THE MOON BREAKS UP

Sir James Jeans, the eminent astronomer, declares that the moon is falling to pieees and that it will eventually break into pieces. “My view,” says the Astro-nomer-Royal (Hr. Spencer Jones), “is, that.-the moon will break up before it reaches the earth. What is happening at present is that the moon is gradually getting farther away from the earth, and it will continue to do so for something like 600,000,000,000 years. When the moon comes within 10,000 miles of. .the earth it will be. in serious danger of breaking up. One does not know .what the strength of the solid rocks of-atlfe-moon is to resist this disruptive effect, but.my view is that it will break up into thousands of particles. The sun will have ceased to shine and all life om earth,

will have beeothe extinct.. Tjfo’. one will be alive ..to witness the cataclysm.” Major .Wflliam, T.ockyer, who has his cwit at SidmoiVth(South De\‘6n), 'siil<>l; ; “My view is thajk the moon will come'Smashing down op.. The earth and will in : time merge into, on? solid niftsp, kite,rjug. tlie the' earth. There will p'fobiibly be flQtajie. glive >'to affyeVenknow. the rdkygen’ 'layer \yhicb suyrounds j,he earth is, b.eing. gradually difaWft away by currents emanating from the moon.”