The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-03
THE SPARKLING ONE
Fascinating Discoveries on the
Planet Mercury.
scHsAeAaElLs's KEEN SIGHT,


III Italian astronomer sebiapareiH, Who
has beeome famous b resent years ios cs
dsseoyeriss o. shs pkanss Mars. has ist<iy
s1rpxised his feliow savnnts By the ar-
nouneeruent 81 equally reraaxkafas dis
ccveviss sbouk The rianet Mercury. The
reader VII rsmemker that Mercury - the
raanef nearest 70 the sun. 30 that On sc-
count 81 its proximity 70 The solar ORB y
can never ~ seen except Iow down IN the
evening Or moTninx sky. On this account
comparatively few persons ever - H. IL
II. however, very brilliant object vhsn
well sftusted for observation, and gtows 80
brightly that ths Greeks named II the
.'Spaxklfng One" Mercury Is very much
smaller than tina earth, being onIy 1910
miles IN diameter. but 10 il composed OF far
heavier material, and. according 70 recent
investigations. IL weighs almost ~ much -
globe Of real mercury Of the same sire
would weigh La fact, IL b not inprobshis
thst the planet IL very largely. IL not
chiefly. composed Of metallic matter.
II has long been known 70 astronomers
that these ays permanent markings visible
on the surface Of Mercury. bur IL requires
. sharp eye. fine TELESCOPES and excep-
honai conditions Of atmospheric purity
and sssadinsss TO enable one to detect
these delicate shadings on the planets
disk; and 70 not much has heretofore
been known about them A Mercury IL
nearer 10 the sun than the earth IL, IL pre-
senfs 10 US IN the course of its revolutions
IN the moon. A hundred years ago.
scl1rofer. an industrious German observer.
noticed that the southern horn OF the cres-
cent OF Mercury appeared at certain times
TO be biunted In singular manner; and be
ascribsd the appearances TO the existence in
the south polar regions Of the planet Of
mountains ten miles high, whose shadow
caused tho bunting Of the horn. He also
saw spots on the disk which appeared to
him 10 Indicate that the planet made q
revolution on its axis once in twenty -four
hours, the same period of time that the
earth requires for that purpose. This
opinion ~ 70 the period Of Mcrcurys rota-
tion has besn accepted generally until our
day.
Nov schispArelli. after studying Mercury
for seven years with means far in advance
Of those possessed by schrotcr, and with
m eye - sharp. perhaps, as was ever be-
slowed upon an astronomer, makes the
surprising assertion that Mercury, instead
Of turning on its axis once In twenty-tour
hours. turns only once in the course OF
revolution around the sun. In other words,
10 always presents the same face toward
the sun. behaving in this respect Just ~
the moon does toward the earth. More
ever, Schiapareili has discovered many
marks upon the disk OF the planet which
had not been noticed before, and he has
made little map or diagram which shows
that these marks strikingly resemble some
Of the features discovered In recent years
OH Mars. They are elongated strcaks run
ming In various directions, and frequently
presenting 1t their points OF junction the
appearance of IN endorsement or knot.
similar streAks on Mars have bean assumed
10 be long narrow seas or water courses.
The geometricai figures formed by the in
tersection Of these streaks on Mercury
strikingly resemble those on Mars. In one
place there Ii = shape of this kind that
roughly resembles q huge figure 8, cover
ing . quarter Of ore hemisphere Of the
planet.
II has long bean known that evidences of
IN atmosphere are perceptible ON Mercury.
and The spcctrOscope has shown that wa
terry vapor probably exists In this atmos-
phere. But II some Of the phenomena
observed by Schisparslii are correctly i'm
terpreted, he has actually beheld clouds
floating in the planets air, and the indis-
sinctness Of the spots on the disk, when
seen near It's edge, is ascribed 10 the effects
Of the atmosphere Also rhing the light
These supposed clouds, which, rejecting
the sunlight from their upper surfaces. APP
pear as white patches. are more numerous.
lfx.s< A.. S~l ~nftt H. a.
than In tho southern hemisphere of the
planet In fact. they are 50 numerous near
The north pole that they produce an appa-
rent eIongation Of the northern horn OF
the crescent when Mercury appears IN that
form. and schfctsr's supposed shortening
oil the southern horn has accordingly been
ascrih~d, not to the shadow of great noun.
tains. but to the effect Of contrast with the
extraordinary lengthening of the northern
horn CAUSED hy Schiapsrcllis clouds.
There is really nothing to cause astonish-
nentin Schiaparelii's announcement that
aerctsry makes only one rotation on its
Axis in going once around the sun. for /, is
~ near the sun that the tidal influence of
he latter might readily have reduced its
.utasiond velocity 10 coincide with lis
rsFicd OF revolution. just as has occurred
ia the case Of the earth and the moon,
Nevertheless. The fact Is exceedingly Inter
esssng, and II becomes much more so " hen
considered In connection with The question
whether Mercury is hahitahls. IL has gem
orally been regarded as highly improbable
thai Mercury is an inhabited globe. vet
SO long - il presents evidences OF the pres
snee OF air aud water on Its surface. il Is
impossible to deny possibility of the exist
enes Of some form OF life there. Surpasa
we imagine ourselves in the position OF an
tnhahsiant 81 Mercury. IL we dwelt an the
sunwsrd side Of the globe We should hsvs
perpetual day. and. Of eouse. on the other
side NC should be plunged into perpetual
night, since she sun can never shine on
that side still, ewing to the great eccen.
tricity uf Msrcary's orbit. The plan.t nm.
devFces q large lihFassca IN longitude az
il Journeys sroand the sun. and the
resals OF this - 70 produce the same
effect as II IL rocked 10 ana
fro on is axis 20 the extent Of aeArsy a De.
EFess On each side OF q nsSisn line. max.
InE one complete swing in the course Of a
ssugle revolution aronnd the sun. Conse-
aaenuy there are regions along the eastern
and western e<4Ees 81 the sanaara side az
he planet Which are alternately hroaxht
into tAe sunshine snd plunged back again
into darkness The dwel.ers within these
iAine-shsp~d rsssons. each og which assasnS
width of - degrees at the equator and
astainisAeS 70 nothing 81 the pSleS. would
shcFssors. ne TIE oaiy inhabitants IL Ms--
curry wao could ea5oy the alienation az
day and night These living at the innsr
e'ge ~ ons Of the ianes wuusss see the sun
staz 49, o.