Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-04
LOOKING AT MARS.
Many Curious Sights Seen Through /
Big Telescopes of the Lick Obseryntoi


Big Telescopes of the Lick observatory.
LICK OBSERVATORY, MOUNT HAMILTON,
Aug, l,--tntil 1870 last evening the sky
was entirely overcast ut the observatory
but the observations of the planet Mars
We're resumed Us soon rs IL cleared lip.
During the moments of cloudy weather
Professors Campbell, Schnaberle and
Barnard furnished tho following additional
particulars regarding the pending OPPOSE
tom
AT 10 o'clock, on the evening of Wednes-
day, August Sd, Mars will be in opposition
with the sun. His distance from the earth
npprnNimates 35,0OU,00O miles, and will he
then nearer than at any timo since 1877,
when Hall discovered tile two satellites
and closer to us than it will be again until
1909.
The two satellites of Mars, thetwo small
est objects known to the whole solar sys-
TEN, are just visible to observers with n
l2.inch telescope They are conspicuous
OBJECTS III the 36-ineh telescope and have
been seen by all visitors to Lick Observa
tory. The eclipse of the inner satellite in
the planets shadow is easily observable.
since the outer satellite docs not suffer
an ecilpse at the present time it is ncces
shrN TO obtain the positions of that Satel-
ilte by ntlcrometrical measurements, which
are made regularly i'll order to properly
determine the orbit. The south polar cap
month ago, hut il is rapidly diminishing
Il SIZE and brightness. This variability Of
the polar caps had led astronomers to
pcliete that they are composed of snow
and ice. The south polar cap diminishes
accordingly as summer in that hemisphere
comes on and increases with the advent of
winter.
At the present time there are numerous
dark markings within the polar cap us il
There We're large areas from which snow
lad disappeared These markings had not
been seen before at any observatory The
region ON the face known as the l.liCius
sol'ice = now seen nearly lS il appeared
through the SGinch telescope during the
opposition Of 1880, and very different from
lts appearance as shown iii the drawing of
Schiaparclli.
lie fons Auvcnti Q0untain of YOUTH,
the large dark region heretofore seen sim
gle, now appears double through the large
relractur. But the most remarkable Of Ill
the observed phenomena are three or more
prominent bright projections on he south
west llneol Mars, visible Tor several nights
Tor = short time each evening about three
weeks ago, They MIL probably be visible
on the southeast limb in about two or
three weeks, when il is hoped to determine
more fully their character.
Apparently these projections arise from
very bright regions III the planet Whether
't'NJ 49, i''Nli llloAlltilHS UT are tltlp 10
some phenomena il is now impossible 10
say p to the present time SchiaparelIis
canals" have not been seen double.
Drawings of the planet are made on each
clear evening. These drawings will finally
he converted into . single map at the close
Ct the summer observations. Last night
the south polar cap was very complex and
numerous dark markings We're visible.
HE unique spectacle Of markings in the
snoW-caps has been noted not only with
| the large telescope by Schabcll and Camp
bell but also with a Pinch glass BY Bar
nard, who said some time ago that on one
| night dark streak would appear across
the polar cap, and that would follow the
separation and then the disappearance Of
large. portion Of the polar cap, leaving
| two white spots.
| The discoveries just made at Mount
hamilton are interesting and scientifically
] valuable. They are, III brief, contradic-
ton oi the supposed doubling or 'gemina-
ton Of the canals" Of the planet Mars,
and a clearer definition of the extraordi.
| nary satellites or moons OF that body,
Of light.