The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-10

A most extraordinary and astounding ois-
coyery has been recently made by the great
astronomer, Schiaparelli, director Of the OBJ
servatory at Milan, who commenced new
series of observations of the planet Mars in
FEBRUARY last, and has now presented the scien-
tific world with summary of his discoveries
in the form of an admirable brochure. accom-
panied by astronomical maps and plans. So
singular are his announcements, that were
they not firmly sustained by the testimony OF
others as great as himself, few men would be-
ieve them.
or course, most of our readers know that
the planet Mars is more Interesting to modern
astronomers than any other in our system, not
even excepting the marvellous Saturn with his
thrice-mysteries ring. This is not because OF
the eccentricity or size of the planet but be-
cause of its proximity and the indubitable tact
that it is immature Of our own earth. Mars
is inhabited almost beyond possibility OF
doubt; and as it is older, according to the
most rational astronomical hypothesis, by
many millions of years than our own earth,
there is ample reason to believe that its civll-
cation is intellectually more advanced than our
own.
Before speaking more fully of the recent
discoveries by Schiaparelli, let us refer briefly
to the character and importance OF Mars.
Mars comes Immediately after our earth in the
revolving order of planets according to dis
lance from the sun, and is only about nine
teen millions of leagues distant from us at any
time. As its orbit is elliptical as well as our
own, it sometimes happens that we approach
each other much more closely, TO within 49,
THE o~~urro1 n vSS5 and r.
ours regularly every fifteen years; and during
cited to extraordinary labols of investigation
Mars is twice as small as the earth; but its ro-
tation is almost the same. Its year is much
longer than ours; consisting Of 668 Martial
DAYS, or about 6S7 terrestrial days. Its sea-
sons are Irregular; the longest is spring, the
shortest winter. A man who would weigh
100 pounds on earth would weigh only 81
pounds if transported to the surface of Mars.
As to the geography of the planet it differs
largely from our own in having more land
than water-surface, and more even distribu-
tion of the elements The color of the vege-
tation is probably different from that OF ours.
Not only have excellent maps been made OF
Mars, but we may say that we know much
more of its polar regions than we do OF our
own. All its great seas, islands, continents,
and peninsulas have been named. There are
the continents of Calico, of Copernicus, and
of Herschell;-there are great tracts laid
down as Tycho Land, Cassini Land, Laplace
Land;-the oceans and seas are also named
after celebrated astronomers-Arago, Newton,
Schiapareili, etc. Even the mouths and
courses of the great rivers are distinguishable
foundations are observable; and we may hope
that before many years the Marian cities
will also be perceivable through terrestrial tel
escapes.
When one remembers how much We know
of Mars already, the recent discovery of Sig
nor Schiaparelli becomes more astounding
What he has discovered is this:
The surface of its continents is covered witt
network of what seem to be enormous can
ais, crossing each other at right angles, ane
running from seaseore to seashore. Each o.
these canals, or canal-lines, is double; there
are always two canals running parallel, at SC
short distance that through the most power
full telescopes they first appeared to be only
single canals! Whether this be prodigiou!
system Of irrigation, none can say. 1t is hare
to conceive Of such works being executed By
the inhabitants of the planets. But surely tn
world will await further developments in this
regard with the most intense interest.