The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-05
|Ok A PEEP At MARS.
IL W. II. Pickering, Of Harvard,
Notes Particularly the Strange
Variety OF Colors.
Q Most Conspicuous Canals on
the Planet Plainly Visible by
Telescope.
hnees Caused by tho Operation Of Laws
Of which Science Has Yet No
KnowiadYo.

hinges Caused by tho Op0rAtiOn OF LAWS
OF Which soienco Has Yet No
Knowislgo.
loRTnTIELD. Mimi. Sept. 4.-Prof. Will
"a II. Pickering, director Of Harvard
lsgs observatory. who 10 stationed at
pquipa. Peru. observing the opposition
Mars, has written a. follows TO Astron-
J and Astrophysics, the astronomical
rnal published here:
i have previously called attention to tho
p~ortant effect Of our wi atmosphere in
slsading the Judgment - TO the true
ors exhibited by the heavenly bodies. A
I'd illustration Of this may b. obtained
I'M q mountain summit on o oloudy day.
10 distant green's OF the landscape. are ut
ce changed to Rrsy, either by clouds Or by
b passing of a very thin mist between
sm and the eye. In tho former caae they
come darker, and in this latter lighter.
in either case the greenish hue entirely
bappears.
The sudden changes Of color exhibited
some Of the smaller areas upon the
Rnet Mars are sometimes almost star
Ing. A recent view was obtained shortly
fore sunrise. when the snowy region about
. south pole appeared OF a most brilliant
cen, quite equaling in color the rather
rrow green band situated just to the
rth of il. Later, as the sun came up, the
lor of the snow changed TO a bright vel
Nv, the rest Of the disc changing in the
eantime to orange. Later the seeing i'm
owed, severa! of the canals became Wis
10 and tho snow became as oolorless as
bon our surrounding mountains. The two
rmer effects were probably due to bad
eing, the fluctuations of our own at
osphers affecting the colors of the SUI
unding regions upon tho snow.
1--WE have laid it down a. a rule never to
ly greatly upon our color observations I'M
be the snow-caps of the planet appear per
oily colorless and the canal system is
bill defined. These conditions wa find nj.
hys combined with the best seeing. For
ese delioate color observations. it will
erefors be seen, that not only do We TO-
hire q telescope of the best quality, but
90 the very best obtainable atmospheric
Pnditions.
I'm studying the smaller dark regions.
rOA uo u P0AS
ajor, great differences of color have been
Pted from night to night, and l have col
red sketches in my possession taken at
ffersnt times In which it ia represented as
Eay, as green, as blue, as brown and wen
violet. The latter color was 80 e1traor-
mary that I endeavored to make that por-
on of the planet appear to my eve Of
bmo other color, but 1t was impossible and
b other color could be made to match 1t.
k{n oolce urNr Tho ,,lorak hoo l>AA~ onlu
en- by me ouoe since. Tho brown color
oove noted wal undoubtedly due to tad
being. At one time l felt convinced that
he red color Of the darkest spots upon
be planet was a deep blue, and this may in
bality DO the case. But of late. under ia
prable circumstances, they have appeared
h ma to be of an absolutely colorlsss gray.
1.-THE most striking marking upon the
aanst. aud that most readily seen with q
mali telescope. is the syrtis Major. or Y
ark. This is nearly central in the sixth
R~osition Of the planet. This region in 1890
as interesting as containing the most con-
picuous canals visible upon the planet, ex-
eptiug the large one which terminates the
fyrtis Major on the north. At this opposi-
on these canals IRE too far north to be
3ell seen. The fourth and third regions OF
be planet arc both Misunderstanding The
bcond position is interesting as showing
he great southern ocean. which 10 nearly as
1pnspicuous as the Syrtis Major itself.
"We now come to a curious fcnture of
be observations. namely, the actual change
h color which, eliminating all probable
|ourcss of error, the planet really seemH to
Undergo. When the Syrtis Major il CEN
,ral. before the autumnal equinox of the
Iorthetn hemisphere, the region to the east
b seen to be more greenish than that to the
best. As the season wears on the differ
h, m IN 0olnr haonnn0 1Aa0 mRrkaN and Tho
hue is confined more closely to
he region Immediately bordering the Syr-
liz on the east. Tbs two arms of the Syrtis
Ire not of equal breadth. the eastern arm
icing nearly twice as wide as the western
1rm.
"Early in 1890 the entire region inclosed
between the arms of the Syrtis Major as far
8 the snow cap was of a brilliant green
|olor. Eleven DAYS before the vernal equi-
kox of the southern hemisphere a yellow
pot appeared at the extreme northern
POINT Of the triangular area. Az the season
kdvanced this yellow spot increased in
krea until it covered the whole region as
lar south az could be seen. This year,
when first observed, this area was entirely
kreen. but on May 8. or seventeen days
before the vernal equinox, the yellow, OF
perhaps reddish. spot appeared in the same
place. and 1t will be interesting to deter
o S"o NWn8S - VAAo S~A|A
advances toward the pole.
"ChanRes to the east Of the Syrtis Major
have also been noticed by Schiaparelli
These no ascribes to extensive floods. Or
June s there was q large preenish area visi,
bic in longitude $50. latitude 30 north, and
by July 16 this spot could not be found
The large oresoent-shaped area in the north
Frn part Of this planet at one time was quit.
hark. yet N n evening IT was painteC
kreen. and the ocean to the south of it blue
he difference in color being very clear. o,
March 22 Of the present year the crescen'
WAS we'll shown, hut was decidedly fainter
than the ooenn, which was again suspected
bf being blue, but tho color could not b.
confirmed. The crescent nov
|s too far north. owning to the motion o
khe planet, to be Satisfactorily st0died."
Professor Pickering says he believes tina
in the future these changes will be thor.
buRhly Understood and laws be deduoed AZ
them. He thinks the greatest dan
ger lies from optical illusion.
Guaranteed Cure.
vDn oukI,or;vo ~ olxo~A;noJ ls,-~:,k 4.