It was fine weather
Barbicane had also brought several compasses,which he found intact. One must understand that under present conditions their needles were acting wildly,that is without any constant direction. Indeed, at the distance they were from the earth, the magnetic pole could have no perceptible action upon the apparatus;but the box placed on the lunar disc might perhaps exhibit some strange phenomena. In any case it would be interesting to see whether the earth's satellite submitted like herself to its magnetic influence