sequence A few years ago, an unprecedented scientific experiment shocked the world.After the American Civil War, when the artillerymen formed the Cannon Club in Baltimore, its members suddenly remembered to be with the moon Yes, with the moon!Make a connection and fire a cannonball to the moon.M. Barbicane, President of the Cannon Club, the originator of this scientific enterprise, after consulting the astronomers of the Cambridge Observatory, proceeded to take all the measures necessary to secure the accomplishment of this astonishing enterprise, and most of those who were entitled to speak Scientists agreed that the experiment would be successful.He launched a fund-raising campaign, received nearly thirty million francs in donations, and embarked on this gigantic project.

According to the information written by the staff of the observatory, the cannon that fired the projectile must be placed within the equator and the twenty-eighth latitude north and south in order to aim at the moon at the zenith.The shell must have a muzzle velocity of twelve thousand yards per second.The cannonball had to be fired at 11:00 p.m. on December 1st to reach the moon exactly four days later, at midnight on December 5th, when the moon had just reached its perigee, that is to say, from The closest point to the earth is exactly 86,410 miles from the earth (note: the French ancient unit of length, or about four kilometers).

Chairman Barbicane, the principal members of the Cannon Club, Elfeston, the medic, and Maston, secretary, met with other scientists to discuss the shape and composition of cannon balls, the location and type of cannon, and the quality and quantity of powder to be used.The meeting decided: 1. The projectile shall be an aluminum projectile, 108 inches in diameter, 12 inches thick in wall, with a gross weight of 19,250 pounds. 2. The cannon is a Colombian cast iron cannon with a length of 900 feet and is cast directly on the ground. 3. The explosive used is 400,000 pounds of gunpowder, which can release 6 billion liters of gas under the projectile, and easily send the projectile to the night celestial body.

When all these problems were settled, the Barbicane Chairman, with the help of Engineer Murchison, found a suitable site in Florida at latitude 27° 7' north and longitude 5° 7' west.It was here that marvelous civil engineering was later performed and the very successful casting of the Colombian cannon. Just at this point in the matter, an unexpected thing happened, and everyone's interest in this great cause suddenly increased a hundredfold. A Frenchman, a whimsical Parisian, an artist with both talent and courage, asked to take this cannonball to the moon to investigate the earth's satellites.This fearless adventurer is Michelle.Adam.He came to America and was warmly received; he presided over the council and was hailed triumphantly; he reconciled Chairman Barbicane and his nemesis, Captain Nicholl, and persuaded them to travel with him in a projectile as a token of reconciliation. ensure.

His proposal was accepted.So the shape of the cannonball was changed again, making it a conical cylinder.At the same time, strong springs and drainage devices with fragile compartments designed to reduce the impact during departure are installed inside this skycar.Next, food for a year, water for a few months, and gas for a few days were installed, and an automatic device was producing and supplying the air necessary for the three travelers to breathe.The Cannon Club installed a huge telescope on the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains to observe the movement of projectiles through space.Everything is ready.

On December 1st, the projectile was launched at the appointed time under the witness of a crowd of spectators. This was the first time that three people left the earth and rushed into interstellar space with almost certain confidence that they would reach their destination. These three intrepid travelers, Michelle.Adam, Chairman Barbicane, and Captain Nicholl, would conclude their voyage in ninety-seven hours, thirteen minutes and twenty seconds.Therefore, they could only reach the surface of the Moon just after midnight on December 5th, not December 4th, as some ill-informed newspapers reported.

However, no one expected that the gas emitted by the Colombian gun when it fired the shell instantly filled the atmosphere.This phenomenon aroused general indignation, for for several nights the moon was obscured by clouds and mist, and no one could see it. The venerable Maston, bravest friend of the three travelers; Accompanied by the venerable Belfast of the Cambridge Observatory, Hastened to the Rocky Mount Lang Peak Observatory, where stands the star that can shorten the distance of the moon Telescope to two leagues.The venerable secretary of the Gun Club was to observe for himself the transport of his three brave friends.

From December 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th to 10th, the atmosphere was filled with dark clouds, making observation impossible.Some people even think that it is necessary to wait until January 3 next year to re-observe, because the last quarter moon begins on the 11th, and the bright part of the moon will become smaller and smaller after that, making it impossible to track projectiles. In the end, however, all were satisfied, for, on the night of December 11, a storm cleared the atmosphere, and the half of the moon rose sharply against the black background of the sky. That same night, Maston and Belfast sent a telegram from Langhorn Observatory to scientists at the Cambridge Observatory.

What did the telegram say? The telegram states that Messrs. Belfast and Messton, at 8:47 p.m. on December 11th, spotted the projectiles fired by the Columbia guns at Rocky Heights, which for some reason did not reach. The destination, but it is quite close to the moon, so under the influence of the moon's gravity, its linear motion has changed into an arc motion, and under the pull of the celestial gravity in the night, it moves along an elliptical orbit and becomes a satellite of the moon. The telegram went on to add that the data of this new celestial body had not yet been calculated; for its data could only be ascertained if the celestial body had to be observed simultaneously from three different positions.The telegram then stated that the distance between the projectile and the lunar surface was about 2,833 miles, or 4,500 kilometers.

The telegram concludes with two hypotheses: either the gravitational force of the moon prevails in the end and the three travelers reach their destination; or the projectile follows a fixed orbit around the moon until the end of the world.Between these two different possibilities, what was the fate of the three travelers, it is true that their provisions would last for a while.But even if this daring scientific experiment were to succeed, how, and would they ever come back?Can I get news from them?This series of questions, discussed in the press by the most learned scientists of our time, has aroused great public interest.

Here, we should offer an opinion for those too hasty scientists reference.It is difficult for a scientist to be thoughtful when announcing a discovery that is purely speculative to the public.No one is forcing you to discover a planet, comet, or moon, but if you get it wrong, you will be ridiculed by the crowd.It would therefore be better to wait, as the impatient Maston should have done before sending this telegram to the world, because according to him.This telegram has brought the final conclusion to this scientific experiment. But in fact, as later proved, there were two errors in this telegram. One, concerning the distance between the projectile and the surface of the moon, this was an observational error, because on December 11, it was impossible to See the shells of the Columbia Cannon; 2. Regarding the fate of the projectile, this is a theoretical error, because turning a projectile into a moon satellite is absolutely against the principles of theoretical mechanics. The observers of Langfeng have only one hypothesis that can be realized, that is, the three travelers may be able to reach the surface of the moon with the cooperation of the moon's gravity if they are still alive. In fact, the three quick-witted and brave men saved their lives under the impact on the way out.We shall now relate the story of how they traveled to the moon in this cannonball-carriage, and we shall not omit any of the most dramatic and curious details of their journey.This story will dispel the illusions of some, overturn their prophecies, give us a correct idea of ​​the many twists and turns that such an enterprise must meet, and at the same time highlight Barbicane's scientific instincts, Nicholl's Erle's ingenuity and Michelle's.Adam's humor is bold. Besides, the story is sufficient evidence of the wasted time of their venerable friend, Mr. Maston, stooping over the gigantic telescope to observe the Moon's orbit through interstellar space.