Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-08-08
THE OPPOSITION OF MARS.

OF an interesting celestial phenomenon to
occur in September the N, Y, Times says;
Astronomers are now waiting with great in
terest for phenomenon which is to occur IN
a few weeks, and is to be observed with the
utmost care and assiduity, and with all the
appliances at the disposal Of science. On
September 9th the planet Mars will be in OPP
position-that is, he will then be at that point
of the sky which is Just opposite the sun, SO
that he will rise at sunset and come to the
meridian at midnight. Since both the planet
and the earth sweep in orbits around the sun,
it follows, also that at that time they make
their nearest approach to each other and the
planet is then most favorably situated for OBJ
servation and examination. Ia the early au-
tumn Mars will be by far the most consplcu-
Gus object in the eastern sky, blazing with a
red fire hardly inferior to the brightness of
Venus, which by this time will begin to adorn
the western twilight, and quite outshining
Jupiter. Saturn close by Mars, Will seem
comparatively of no account.
Oppositions of Mars are not specially rare.
They occur about once in two years and fifty
days, and if the orbits of this planet and the
earth were perfect circles the circumstances
of all oppositions would be essentially alike,
and no peculiar interest would attach to one
rather than another. But this is by no
means the case the orbits are not quite cir
cular. The earth about the 1st Of July, is
nearly 9 1000, 900 miles further from the sun
than at New Years; and in the case of Mars
the difference between its greatest and least
distance from the sun is larger yet, amounting
to almost % ,OOO, 900 of miles The average
distance between Mars and the earth at the
moment of opposition is about 100000 Of
miles; if, however, the opposition happens
when the planet is as far from the sun as pos
sible and the earth is as near the sun as it can
be, they will be separated by 8 space of 64,-
900, 900 miles and if, on the contrary, the
event occurs when the conditions are rever
sed, the distance between them will be only
81, 600, 900, and the opportunity for obserya-
ton will be exceptionally favorable. These
CLOSE oppositions are rare, the motions of the
planet and the earth being 50 related that
they rccur only at intervals of 70 years,
though some of the intermediate Opposltions,
separated by periods OF - and IL years, are
not greatly inferior. The opposition next
September will one of the best possible, both
the earth and the planet being nearly in their
most favorable positions, and the distance be-
tween them less than at any time since the
summer of 1898. The observations to be
made are of two classes-one intended to de-
ternlne the distance, position and motions of
the planet; the other relating to its magni-
tude, form, rotation, surface markings and
physical constitution.
Bearing in mind that the proportions OF the
planetary system are easily ascertained and
now very accurately known, it is of course
evident that the precise determination in
miles of any single distance between any two
planets will fix the dimnsions of the whole
system, and, SO to speak, put scale of miles
upon our chart Of the universe. Observations
of the opposition of Mars are therefore avail
for the same purpose as those of transit of
Venus, and some astronomers consider them
capable of giving result hardly, if at all, in
ferior in certainty and precision. 1t is for
this reason, chiefly, that the phenomenon is
looked forward to with so much interest