(1) Sir John Herschel, in his "Treatise on Astronomy," new edition of 1835, says at page 230: "The lunar summer and winter arise, in fact, from the rotation of the moon on its own axis, the period of which rotation is exactly equal to its sidereal revolution about the earth, and is performed in a plane 1° 31´ 11´´ inclined to the ecliptic, and therefore nearly coincident with her own orbit. This is the cause why we always see the same face of the moon, and have no knowledge of the other side."

(2) In his "Poetry of Astronomy," page 187, Mr. Proctor says: "For my own part, though I cannot doubt that the substance of the moon once formed a ring around the earth, I think there is good reason for believing that when the earth's vaporous mass, receding, left the moon's mass behind, this mass must have been already gathered up into a single vaporous globe. My chief reason for thinking this is, that I cannot on any other supposition find a sufficient explanation of one of the most singular characteristics of our satellite--her revolution on her axis in the same mean time, exactly, as she circuits around the earth."

New Theories in Astronomy — Part 34

(3) Professor Newcomb, in his "Popular Astronomy," 5th edition, 1884, at page 313, has what follows: "The most remarkable feature in the motion of the moon is, that she makes one revolution on her axis in the same time that she revolves around the earth, and so always presents the same face to us. In consequence, the other side of the moon must remain for ever invisible to human eyes. The reason for this peculiarity is to be found in the ellipticity of her globe." Then he enlarges upon and confirms the fact of her rotation.

New Theories in Astronomy — Part 34

(4) Mr. George F. Chambers, in his "Handbook of Astronomy," 4th edition, 1889, says at page 119, Vol. I.: "In order that the same hemisphere should be continually turned towards us, it would be necessary not only that the time of the moon's rotation on its axis should be precisely equal to the time of the revolution in its orbit, but that the angular velocity in its orbit should, in every part of its course, exactly equal its angular velocity on its axis."

New Theories in Astronomy — Part 34

It may be necessary, to avoid misconception, to note that angular velocity on its axis confirms rotation; and what is more extraordinary, that Chambers must have thought that its angular velocity on its axis must have increased and diminished in order to agree with its increased and diminished velocities in its elliptic orbit at its perigee, apogee, and quadratures. A rather strange notion in mechanics where there is no provision made for acceleration or retardation of rotation.