Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-02

The WEATHER IN MARs.-But we are natur-
ally led to inquire whether the phenomena
which our meteorolOgists have to deal with
clouds, fog and mist, wind-storms and rain
stOrms-can be recognized, either directly or in
their effects, when Mars is studied with the tele-
scope. The answer is full ofinterest We have
been able to learn much respecting the meteor
ology of this distant world. In the first place
we see that at times the feature of his globe
those well-recognized markings which indicate
the figure of oceans and continents-are hidden
from view as if by clouds. A whitish light re-
places the wel-marked red color of the CONT
nents or the equally well-marked green-blue
tint of the oceans. But more. We can at times
actually watch the gradual clearing up of
the Martial skies, for we can see the whitish
region of light gradually growing smaller
and smaller, the features it had concealed COM
ing gradually into view. On one occasion Mr..
Lockyer was observing Mars with an excel
lent telescope, six inches in aperture, when he
became aware that change of this sort was in
progress. A certain well-known sea was par
tally concealed from view by great cloud.maSs
spreading over many thousand square miles of
the martial surface. But as the hours passed, the
clouds seemed to be melting away, whether by
the suns heat or because they had fallen in
rain was, of course, not determina6le. When
Mr.. Lockyer ceased observing for the evening
at about IL ia large proportion of the sea be-
fore concealed had come into view. But on the
same night, the eagle-eyed Dawes, the prince of
modern telescopists, as he has been called, was
also studying the planet of war. Waiting until
the outlines of the oceans and continents
had become clearly discernible, he made GIN
the wee sma' hours ayont the twae'") an excel
lent drawing of Mars. When this was COM
pared with the drawing made at an earlier hour
by Mr.. Lockyer, it was seen that the clouds
which had concealed a portion of the planet
had, at the later hour, passed completely away,
insomueh that the whole of the shore-ine,
which was at first concealed, had been restored
to view. Aud it is worthy of notice that, re-
ferring these events to martial time, it appeared
that the cloudy weather in this part of Mars
had occurred in the forenoon, the midday hour
(as often happens on earth) bringing clear
weather, which would seem TO have lasted until
the martial afternoon was far advanced. But
we can also learn something of the general pro-
gress of the weather during a martial day.
1t would seem that, as a rule, the martial
mornings and evenings are misty. This,
at least, seems the most satisfactory explain
alton of the whitish light which is usually seen
all around the planets disc; for the parts of the
planet which lie near the edge of the disc are
those where the sun is low-that is, where it is
either morning or evening out yOnder on Mars.
The presence, therefore, Of this whitish light
would seem to indicate misty mornings and
misty evenings in Mars.
1t seems clear, too, that-as with ourselves
winter is more cloudy than summer; for it is al
ways noticed that near the martial solstces the
markings on that half of the planet where Win
ter is in progress are very indstinctly seen, a
whitish light sometimes replacing the red and
green markings altogether in these regions. On
the contrary, at these seasons, the regions where
summer is in progress are generally very well
seen.-The Cornhal.