The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-12
LUNA oCCULTS MARS.

Eavannahians Observe a Brilliant
Celestial Phenomenon.
Star gazers had the opportunity last night
# witnessing a remarkable phenomenon.
n was that OF bright star unusually close
10 the moon. 1t was the opposition of the
,Ianet Mars and his occultation by the
moon. The sky was sufficiently unoSsoured
n allow q free observation OF the occulta-
tion.
,,hvsics SAYS the New York Herald, has
opened up some intensely engaging ques-
tions respecting the physical condition OF
the stars, their age and color, their past
history and future prospects, whether they
nave asmospheres and oceans like those OF
our own globe, and whether they are habi-
table by beings az all resembling our
selves. The first planet OF the solar
avstem outside of the earth's orbit,
Mars at opposition then only IS, 900 900
miles from u.s. offers himself as an object
pre-eminently fitted to give astronomers the
information needed to settle such questions.
The opposition of the ruddy planet takes
place on Aug. at midnight, the earth COM
ing directly between it and the sun.
Mars Is apparently an older world than
our own. Some physicists have computed
that it reached its habitable stage $500 900
years ago. The nebular hypothesis requires
TO DelleV6 LUdU ali bue p1huebSt hLber nav
ing attained the temperature incident TO
condensation, began a process of slow re-
frigeration, due to excess of radiation over
the amount OF heat resulting from the trans
formation OF their mechanical energy.
And ten years ago Prof. A. Win
chslI concluded that Mars Is not lingering
in the terrestrial stage, but has lost all water
and atmosphere and advanced far toward
the stage of total refrigeration" This in
ference seemed then we'll sustained. But
later authorities, while confident that its
seas, once heaving and tossing with great
energy, have become shallow mediterra-
means, still contend that it has by no means
absorbed its atmosphere.
n. Camille Flammariou, in q recent
lecture, said he has been able to observe
Mars very closely, and has seen there heavy
SHOWS, at times covering areas as large as
the United States, and has seen these SHOWS
melting, from which be concludes that its
climate is very similar to that Of Europe,
and that as rule this planet is
favored with very fine. clear weather.
Prof. w. H. Pickering's observa-
tions show that red is by no means
the only color visible upon Mars, but "when
near the limb, the reds always appear yell
lowish, indicating probably an atmospheric
absorption of the red portion of the spect-
rum" But, as the latter observer notes,
this ia an effect quite at variahce with the
BcblOu Oh our own WHICH L6QQS
to absorb the blue rays of the spectrum
There can be no doubt that Mars has an at
mosphere, but 1t must differ from ours both
in density and in chemical composition.
While, therefore, seas and atmosphere
cannot be wholly denied to our neighbor,
there is every reason to expect that it's
aerial aud aqueous matter will undergo pro-
gressive absorption by its solid nucleus.
Nearly twenty years ago NJ. Stsnislaus
Meunier pointed out the probability Of
this dviDg-out of Mars basing
his conclusion upon the shape OF
the Marian seas. The discovery
of the "canAls" of Mars in 1877 and of the
doubling Of these canals in 1881 and the ap-
parent changes Of the markings on its red
dish surface since they were first observed
may possibly betoken quite a rapid wasting
of energy.
If the calculations of physicists are not
grossly misleading Mars must, therefore,
be nearing a period when the attenuation
of the watery vapor in its atmosphere will
allow the internal heat Of the planet to es-
cape with enormous rapidity-iust as
we know from Langley's experiments
the earth's heat would fly of into
space were its atmosphere to become
vsporless. The spasmodlc cooling of the
little Marian sphere will necessarily pro-
duce violent contortions, crushings and
crumblings of the rock masses, thus de-
veloping vast amounts Of heat sufficient to
cause immense volcanic fires similar to
those which have pitted our moon with in
Vulnerable and profound craters, clefts and
cracks and reduced its surface to the
dulesceuoe OF death.