Indeed；　it　is　during　the　full　moon　that　Tycho　is　seen　in　all
  its　splendor。　　Then　all　shadows　disappear；　the　foreshortening
  of　perspective　disappears；　and　all　proofs　become　white　a
  disagreeable　fact：　　for　this　strange　region　would　have　been
  marvelous　if　reproduced　with　photographic　exactness。　　It　is
  but　a　group　of　hollows；　craters；　circles；　a　network　of　crests；
  then；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　a　whole　volcanic　network
  cast　upon　this　encrusted　soil。　　One　can　then　understand　that
  the　bubbles　of　this　central　eruption　have　kept　their　first　form。
  Crystallized　by　cooling；　they　have　stereotyped　that　aspect
  which　the　moon　formerly　presented　when　under　the　Plutonian　forces。
  The　distance　which　separated　the　travelers　from　the　annular
  summits　of　Tycho　was　not　so　great　but　that　they　could　catch
  the　principal　details。　　Even　on　the　causeway　forming　the
  fortifications　of　Tycho；　the　mountains　hanging　on　to　the
  interior　and　exterior　sloping　flanks　rose　in　stories　like
  gigantic　terraces。　　They　appeared　to　be　higher　by　300　or　400
  feet　to　the　west　than　to　the　east。　　No　system　of　terrestrial
  encampment　could　equal　these　natural　fortifications。　　A　town
  built　at　the　bottom　of　this　circular　cavity　would　have　been
  utterly　inaccessible。
  Inaccessible　and　wonderfully　extended　over　this　soil　covered
  with　picturesque　projections！　　Indeed；　nature　had　not　left　the
  bottom　of　this　crater　flat　and　empty。　　It　possessed　its　own
  peculiar　orography；　a　mountainous　system；　making　it　a　world
  in　itself。　　The　travelers　could　distinguish　clearly　cones；
  central　hills；　remarkable　positions　of　the　soil；　naturally
  placed　to　receive　the　_chefs…d'oeuvre_　of　Selenite　architecture。
  There　was　marked　out　the　place　for　a　temple；　here　the　ground　of　a
  forum；　on　this　spot　the　plan　of　a　palace；　in　another　the　plateau
  for　a　citadel；　the　whole　overlooked　by　a　central　mountain　of
  1；500　feet。　　A　vast　circle；　in　which　ancient　Rome　could　have
  been　held　in　its　entirety　ten　times　over。
  〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　enthusiastic　at　the　sight；　〃what
  a　grand　town　might　be　constructed　within　that　ring　of　mountains！
  A　quiet　city；　a　peaceful　refuge；　beyond　all　human　misery。　　How　calm
  and　isolated　those　misanthropes；　those　haters　of　humanity　might
  live　there；　and　all　who　have　a　distaste　for　social　life！〃
  〃All！　　It　would　be　too　small　for　them；〃　replied　Barbicane　simply。
  CHAPTER　XVIII
  GRAVE　QUESTIONS
  But　the　projectile　had　passed　the　_enceinte_　of　Tycho；　and
  Barbicane　and　his　two　companions　watched　with　scrupulous
  attention　the　brilliant　rays　which　the　celebrated　mountain　shed
  so　curiously　over　the　horizon。
  What　was　this　radiant　glory？　　What　geological　phenomenon　had
  designed　these　ardent　beams？　　This　question　occupied　Barbicane's　mind。
  Under　his　eyes　ran　in　all　directions　luminous　furrows；　raised　at
  the　edges　and　concave　in　the　center；　some　twelve　miles；　others
  thirty　miles　broad。　　These　brilliant　trains　extended　in　some
  places　to　within　600　miles　of　Tycho；　and　seemed　to　cover；
  particularly　toward　the　east；　the　northeast　and　the　north；　the
  half　of　the　southern　hemisphere。　　One　of　these　jets　extended　as
  far　as　the　circle　of　Neander；　situated　on　the　40th　meridian。
  Another；　by　a　slight　curve；　furrowed　the　〃Sea　of　Nectar；〃　breaking
  against　the　chain　of　Pyrenees；　after　a　circuit　of　800　miles。
  Others；　toward　the　west；　covered　the　〃Sea　of　Clouds〃　and
  the　〃Sea　of　Humors〃　with　a　luminous　network。　　What　was　the
  origin　of　these　sparkling　rays；　which　shone　on　the　plains　as
  well　as　on　the　reliefs；　at　whatever　height　they　might　be？
  All　started　from　a　common　center；　the　crater　of　Tycho。
  They　sprang　from　him。　　Herschel　attributed　their　brilliancy　to
  currents　of　lava　congealed　by　the　cold；　an　opinion；　however；
  which　has　not　been　generally　adopted。　　Other　astronomers　have
  seen　in　these　inexplicable　rays　a　kind　of　moraines；　rows　of
  erratic　blocks；　which　had　been　thrown　up　at　the　period　of
  Tycho's　formation。
  〃And　why　not？〃　asked　Nicholl　of　Barbicane；　who　was　relating　and
  rejecting　these　different　opinions。
  〃Because　the　regularity　of　these　luminous　lines；　and　the
  violence　necessary　to　carry　volcanic　matter　to　such　distances；
  is　inexplicable。〃
  〃Eh！　by　Jove！〃　replied　Michel　Ardan；　〃it　seems　easy　enough　to　me
  to　explain　the　origin　of　these　rays。〃
  〃Indeed？〃　said　Barbicane。
  〃Indeed；〃　continued　Michel。　　〃It　is　enough　to　say　that　it　is　a
  vast　star；　similar　to　that　produced　by　a　ball　or　a　stone　thrown
  at　a　square　of　glass！〃
  〃Well！〃　replied　Barbicane；　smiling。　　〃And　what　hand　would　be
  powerful　enough　to　throw　a　ball　to　give　such　a　shock　as　that？〃
  〃The　hand　is　not　necessary；〃　answered　Nicholl；　not　at　all
  confounded；　〃and　as　to　the　stone；　let　us　suppose　it　to　be　a　comet。〃
  〃Ah！　those　much…abused　comets！〃　exclaimed　Barbicane。　　〃My　brave
  Michel；　your　explanation　is　not　bad；　but　your　comet　is　useless。
  The　shock　which　produced　that　rent　must　have　some　from　the
  inside　of　the　star。　　A　violent　contraction　of　the　lunar　crust；
  while　cooling；　might　suffice　to　imprint　this　gigantic　star。〃
  〃A　contraction！　something　like　a　lunar　stomach…ache。〃　said
  Michel　Ardan。
  〃Besides；〃　added　Barbicane；　〃this　opinion　is　that　of　an　English
  savant；　Nasmyth；　and　it　seems　to　me　to　sufficiently　explain　the
  radiation　of　these　mountains。〃
  〃That　Nasmyth　was　no　fool！〃　replied　Michel。
  Long　did　the　travelers；　whom　such　a　sight　could　never　weary；
  admire　the　splendors　of　Tycho。　　Their　projectile；　saturated　with
  luminous　gleams　in　the　double　irradiation　of　sun　and　moon；　must
  have　appeared　like　an　incandescent　globe。　　They　had　passed
  suddenly　from　excessive　cold　to　intense　heat。　　Nature　was　thus
  preparing　them　to　become　Selenites。　　Become　Selenites！　　That　idea
  brought　up　once　more　the　question　of　the　habitability　of　the　moon。
  After　what　they　had　seen；　could　the　travelers　solve　it？　　Would　they
  decide　for　or　against　it？　　Michel　Ardan　persuaded　his　two　friends
  to　form　an　opinion；　and　asked　them　directly　if　they　thought　that
  men　and　animals　were　represented　in　the　lunar　world。
  〃I　think　that　we　can　answer；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃but　according　to
  my　idea　the　question　ought　not　to　be　put　in　that　form。　　I　ask　it
  to　be　put　differently。〃
  〃Put　it　your　own　way；〃　replied　Michel。
  〃Here　it　is；〃　continued　Barbicane。　　〃The　problem　is　a　double　one；
  and　requires　a　double　solution。　　Is　the　moon　_habitable_？　　Has　the
  moon　ever　been　_inhabitable_？〃
  〃Good！〃　replied　Nicholl。　　〃First　let　us　see　whether　the　moon
  is　habitable。〃
  〃To　tell　the　truth；　I　know　nothing　about　it；〃　answered　Michel。
  〃And　I　answer　in　the　negative；〃　continued　Barbicane。　　〃In　her
  actual　state；　with　her　surrounding　atmosphere　certainly　very
  much　reduced；　her　seas　for　the　most　part　dried　up；　her
  insufficient　supply　of　water　restricted；　vegetation；　sudden
  alternations　of　cold　and　heat；　her　days　and　nights　of　354
  hours　the　moon　does　not　seem　habitable　to　me；　nor　does　she
  seem　propitious　to　animal　development；　nor　sufficient　for　the
  wants　of　existence　as　we　understand　it。〃
  〃Agreed；〃　replied　Nicholl。　　〃But　is　not　the　moon　habitable　for
  creatures　differently　organized　from　ourselves？〃
  〃That　question　is　more　difficult　to　answer；　but　I　will　try；　and
  I　ask　Nicholl　if　_motion_　appears　to　him　to　be　a　necessary
  result　of　_life_；　whatever　be　its　organization？〃
  〃Without　a　doubt！〃　answered　Nicholl。
  〃Then；　my　worthy　companion；　I　would　answer　that　we　have　observed
  the　lunar　continent　at　a　distance　of　500　yards　at　most；　and　that
  nothing　seemed　to　us　to　move　on　the　moon's　surface。　　The　presence
  of　any　kind　of　life　would　have　been　betrayed　by　its　attendant　marks；
  such　as　divers　buildings；　and　even　by　ruins。　　And　what　have
  we　seen？　　Everywhere　and　always　the　geological　works　of　nature；
  never　the　work　of　man。　　If；　then；　there　exist　representatives
  of　the　animal　kingdom　on　the　moon；　they　must　have　fled　to　those
  unfathomable　cavities　which　the　eye　cannot　reach；　which　I　cannot
  admit；　for　they　must　have　left　traces　of　their　passage　on　those
  plains　which　the　atmosphere　must　cover；　however　slightly　raised
  it　may　be。　　These　traces　are　nowhere　visible。　　There　remains　but
  one　hypothesis；　that　of　a　living　race　to　which　motion；　which　is
  life；　is　foreign。〃
  〃One　might　as　well　say；　living　creatures　which　do　not　live；〃
  replied　Michel。
  〃Just　so；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃which　for　us　has　no　meaning。〃
  〃Then　we　may　form　our　opinion？〃　said　Michel。
  〃Yes；〃　replied　Nicholl。
  〃Very　well；〃　continued　Michel　Ardan；　〃the　Scientific　Commission
  assembled　in　the　projectile　of　the　Gun　Club；　after　having
  founded　their　argument　on　facts　recently　observed；　decide
  unanimously　upon　the　question　of　the　habitability　of　the　moon
  ‘_No！_　the　moon　is　not　habitable。'〃
  This　decision　was　consigned　by　President　Barbicane　to　his
  notebook；　where　the　process　of　the　sitting　of　the　6th　of
  December　may　be　seen。
  〃Now；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃let　us　attack　the　second　question；　an
  indispensable　complement　of　the　first。　　I　ask　the　honorable
  commission；　if　the　moon　is　not　habitable；　has　she　ever　been
  inhabited；　Citizen　Barbicane？〃
  〃My　friends；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃I　did　not　undertake　this
  journey　in　order　to　form　an　opinion　on　the　past　habitability　of
  our　satellite；　but　I　will　add　that　our　perso