The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-27
LIFE ON THE PLANETS.
A Scientists Views in Regard to the
Idea.


Prof. Mcfarland, Of the Ohio Sta Q
University, in the Sidereal Messenger,
says: Thirty years ago the question Of
1.-The Ehabitabilisy of:the planets MAS
Widely.and ,.in:some instances, intem-
perately discussed. Several volumes
were written pro and con. the writers
mostly seeming to think that they
had direct commission from on high
to settle the question or to settle their
opponents. which things they pro-
ceeded then and there to do. And
both sides about equally forgot or dis
regarded the facts and, with great
heat. argued on general principles.
An article in the June number o.
the Popular Science Monthly entitled,
"The Cost of Life" and which was in
part criticised in a late humble, o.
tho Messenger, is kind of renewal of
the useless debate, and is clothed in
logic equally as conclusive as that OF
the original controversy. The points
given lately touching the weight of q
man on Jupiter and on Mars were in
Guided as a part of the proof that
those planets are not habitable. To
pass in review all the points OF error
would require an article OF too great
length for the pages OF this journal, 80
l shall confiue myself pretty closely
to few of the more important ones.
The same author, speaking of Mer-
curry. says: with temperature of
boiling water in the frigid zones, and
red hot iron at the equator" etc.
therefore there can be no life on the
planet. But there is no proof of
any such temperature, and in the ma.
ture Of the case there can be none.
Wherefore the conclusions are OF no
force. The error consists in virtually
assuming that the climate of place
depends solely on its distance from
the sun-whereas this is only one of
a hundred causes.
1t IS we'll known that even in the
torrid zone. at an elevation of about
three and one-half miles snow does
not melt; that century after century
eternal" snows uhiten lofty peaks
in ell ATTITUDES.
The temperature of a place on the
earth's surface depends on many in.
huences, any one or several of which
may be greatly modified o. annulled
by the other, go that there il no gen.
eSal rule for climate.
As part of the multitude of things
to be taken into consideration, as
touching the matter in band. we may
name these-viz., the latitude, the
elevation above the sea level, the
ocean currents, the direction of the
prevailing winds, the presence and
trend OF mountain ranges, the
| amount of vapor usual 60 the atmos-
phere, the degree of cloudiness, the
quantity of rain and snow fall. the
size of the body of land, the amount
OF land in close proximity. and its
surroundings. the nature Of the soil,
the amount and kind of vegetation,
the density and height ofathe atmos-
phere. the length OF the day. the OBJ
liquity OF the SUMS rays, and the
thousand and one other things which
60 to make I p the whole temperature
and climate. OF the greater part of
these-indeed. almost every one of
them-as exhibited on other
planets, it is absolutely impossible to
know anything at all; and, as mat
ter of course, no one can speak in-
telligently CT the climate on any
planet except our own. But should
all these items be known. the further
question arises whether it is not pos
sible that animated beings could live
in an environment totally unlike that
which surrounds us. The conclusion
of the whole matter, so far as astron<
omy and physics can now tell, is this:
That the four large outer planets have
not sufficiently cooled down to allow
life on their surface. such as we see
on the earth; that Mars gives all the |
telescopic and stereoscopic probabili. |
ties of conditions compatible with life
as We see it; that the earth certainly |
for millions of years has been covered
with multifarious life; that of Venus
and Mercury we have no certain |
knowledge; and thafthe satellites are
pretty certainly not fitted for such
life as is on the earth; that, in par.
ticular, our moon has no water and
no atmosphere, consequently no oil.
mate or vegetable life. If the Gun
and the planets continually lose heat,
then there will come time in the
far future when the Gun itself shall 60
out in everlasting night, and the
planets cool down 80 that the"ete.nal
snow" would be hot compared with
the degree Of cold throughout all
space where everything shall be dead.