Page:The Path to the Stars, by K. E. Tsiolkovsky, English transl., AD0644808.pdf/368

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ChINGE IN RELATIVE GRAVITY ON EARTH*

Mercury

We set out for Mercury (it is clearly visible only in hot countries, we see it rarely), the planet nearest to sun, nearer to it

2 1/2 times than Earth and illuminated by it

7 times stronger.

When I moved away from lunar surface one or two hundred-versts and glanced downwards, I saw instead of it

a golden cup, occupying exactly one half of sky; it

speckled with circles and notched.

was

The other half of sky was black, strewn with

stars and adorned by regal sun. Moing in part of sky, to point -

one aifcction, I saw how cup, the moon,

changing into dish, plate, saucer, little

star.

occupied c~nstantly smaller

ordinary f'.at moon and, at last,

i-

(Picture is very similar to that on moving away from

Earth). Thus I did not lose moon from sight throughout the entire trip, together with Earth which appeared as star 13 times brighter; at the largest distance, near Mercury itself, the moon shone weaker than Venus.

Constellations and Milky Way did not change

their appearance and location not only on the way to Mercury, entire planet system through Neptune inclusive, which is


 * Extraction from manuscript.

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Ed.

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but throughout the

understandable,

since entire