Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-30

---TA are the developments
--.--s.,i u1oi. that earth since
t--..::iJ % it began its swift fight
through space 1o,O00,-
900 years ago
These are questions that astronomers the
world over are asking today. Astronomical
observations in the last ten years have re-
vealed many secrets OF the martial planet just
enough. in fact, TO indicate the presence OF
greater wonders yet 10 be disclosed.
Enough has been learned about this little
sister to tine earth to prove that it possesses
counterpart OF our physical conditions and TO
give ground for the belief that there may be
human beings upon Its surface. a race. per-
haps. which by reason of Its age boasts OF
civilization TO which the enlightenment OF this
world Is but comparative barbarism.
WAITING TAGEELT FOR AUGUST.
The month OF August next is expected to
bring important if not wonderful and sensa-
tiOnal Developments in the study of our myste
rious heavenly little kinswoman. On the 5th
OF mex. August Mars will arrive at q point Op
posIte this earth. which 1t reaches but once in
fifteen wears. where the distance between the
two planets VIII be reduced rom III. 100000
miles to 3J.UJO.0OO miles. Upon that night a
thousand telescopes Will DE leveled at the
planet. v EIch will pose in refugent beauty IN
the southern skies and n thousand ewes will
seek . pierce the veil of distance that conceals
the knowledge for winch science thirsts.
Wonderful results are expected by reason of
the marvellous lmprOyeme that nave been
made IL astronomical instruments within fif-
teen wears and SINCE the last most favorable
observation vas made. With the powerful
leEs.s and the photographs appliances of to-
day It Will be as II tne fdrawav visitor, tempted
By curiosity. had drawn nearer to this earth
than ever before.
Although Mars will he 81. COO. 900 miles awav
the powerful LEX telescope will magnify her
L. q SIZE as II viewed at distance of but II. 500
miles. Mars but 1850 miles away, What
wonder. then. t..st asst OnOmtrs are feyerish
with anxiety Tor August to come.
WERE DESTINATIONS WILL EE MADE
Observations will be made from the naval
observatory in this city with great care for 1t was
from that white dome by the Potomac that the
discovery was made that Mars has two moons
anG 2 v ashIEStOn man. Prof. Asaph Hall. fur
ni-hed me latest and most interesting chapter
10 the history of the planet. Important OBJ
servaIOas from this hemisphere will also be
made - tAe Lick observatory in California
aai az the Harvard astronomical station at
AryguIga. south America.
IL known JJudy that there are many points
o. similarity between the earth and Mars. The
Ia..-Ir axis 4ncIn,s the pIG ne OF the ec,iItic
a exactly tie angle of the axis OF this earth
AID therefore tn ElarsiaE seasons viii CORE
sFo1o % ours There a.e vast bodies of lee
s2a sa1S - IL north and south poles with
oceans ana streams Intervening. Mars has an
a-rlOspners, clOuls-jusi such clouds. Perhaps
as are hanging over Washington today. She
has Gay and hight almost have: rain
cew. sUnsIIEe-Thy Lot, then, vegetation and
lie.
TLtHN4EIoS's SUGGESTIONS
Camille Flammarion. the Ere nch astronomer.
in a recent writing said:
IF in a beautiful starlit night we examine
Mars through the telescope-when see the
polar SHOWS which melt IN summer. the con-
tInents blIurcatcd NY intervening seas and
huge guifs. and note lis beautiful and varied
geographical cOnhgUratlOn-we cannot choose
bUt wonder II the sun. which Eliminates that
world a. II does our owns shines there on no lIy-
ing creature. II the rams fructIfy nothing If
that atmosphere Is unhreathed by "A single
belng. aad !! the world OF Mars. as II rolls
swiftly through space, Is like a railway train
rushing emptIiy along. without passengers aud
without merchandise. Inc idea that the
earth where we dwell, courslng thus about the
sun, could be UEIuhabiied by any living soul
Whatever seems so inconsistent that 1t Is diff
cult ~ haI5Or such conception. BY what
permanent miracle OF sterilization could the
forces of nature EXISTING there as here be kept
eternally inactive and barren!
I'VE might believe ourselves in some earthly
country Continents, seas. islands. streams
peniusuIas. capes. Gulfs, springs, Clouds mum
dliions, rain, snOw-seasons of winter and
sun nler. spring and autumn. the alienation
OF day and night. evening and morning-are to
be found there almost as they are here The
years are longer. for they last SIX hundred and
elgh;y-seven DAYS, but the intense temperature
OF the season Is absolutely the same as with us
the inclination OF the axis being exactly the
same N both planets. The days there are also
little longer than our own. because the daily
rotation requires twenty-four hours thirty
seven minutes and tWenty-shree seconds. INIT
the difference IL not great. as you notice that
the facts known to a nicely, this diurnal
rotation being determined within the tenth of
a second"
Il,000.000 YEARS AHEAD OF Is
Astronomers say that Mars reached the geo.
logical state now possessed by this eartn over
Il,C00,O10 years ago being probably lit for
habitatiOn at that time.
If there are people there what civilization il
must be which has ii .O00, 900 years the start of
Edison OF Morse. OF Fulton and OF the trolley
wire system,
The planet Mars has two moons They are
small bodies of matter. of them within
5000 miles OF the surface of the planet and
the other 1900 miles away Ii there are in
habltants upon Mars they witness the peculiar
sight of one moon rising IN the east
and setting IN the west and the other
rising IN the west and setting in
the east both shining at the same
time and crossing each Others path in mid
heaven The day OF Mars Is twenty-four hours
and thirty-seyen minutes IN length. The inner
moon goes around Mars IN seven hours and
thirty-nIne minutes, while it takes the outer
moon thirty hours and eighteen minutes to
describe its circuit. The phenomenon of the two
moons meeting is caused by the more rapid
fight of the inner moon. The moons of Mars
were discovered by Prof. Hall at the Naval
observatory in this city while the two sate!-
lites were whiriing through space 5000 600
miles away. The discovery created a sensa-
ton and revived the interest in Mars, which
had tagged somewhat since the days of Sir
William Herscheli, in 1873.
BrnF fI.sll civ he soNtn snfa
count of his discovery of the moons of Mars:
In the spring OF 1887 the approaching fay-
orable opposition of the planet Mars attracted
my attention. and the idea occurred TO me to
make a careful search with our large Clark re-
tractor for a satellite CT this planet The lit
e-ature of the planets, however. showed such a
number OF observations of various kinds made
bythe most experienced and skilled astronomers
and the chance OF finding satellite appeared
SO very slight that L might have abandoned the