Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-11

Lick Observatory has replied to many
Inquiries received during the present
opposition Of Mars, by telegraph and by
letter, said Prof. Holden the other day.
These inquiries indicate widespread in
terest, but In very many cases, at least,
they appear TO be based on misappre-
hen5iOn Of the kind OF work which is
now being done on the planet here and
elsewhere. The case is not as II as
tronomers were pushing out on an un-
known ocean expecting TO find an un-
known continent. In such O case the
mere announcement of discovery would
be all that was needed and expected.
The actual circumstances are very diff
ferent. 1t Is as IL come one had un-
dertaken to make a new survey OF
the State OF Arkansas. For exam
pie, he would begin by measuring
the base lines and by setting stakes
and by observing angles and
distances. At the end of weeks and
months he would have his note books
filled with figures, and after a long sea-
son Of calculation he would be able to
Issue a new and accurate map OF the
region, more accurate, that is. than any
preceding one. This is precisely the
immediate object of the observations
The circumstances are very favorable
in that the planet is unusually near to
US. They are rather unfavorable in
that the planet IL very far south and
therefore low down in the sky and sub
ject TO atmospheric disturbances. Fu-
ture oppositions, In which the planet
will be seen at greater altitude, will be
more favorable, even II the planet be
then considerably more distant
The Immediate object of our work Is
to make the map in question, ard we
already have enough material to be sure
that we can considerably improve exist
ing maps, although some of them are
very fine. especially that made by Prof.
Schiaparelli, for example. Or course,
the ultimate object of oil observations
is to determine every possible physical
popularity of the object TO be investi-
gated. II it is a planet, we wish to
know how nearly it resembles the earth
and whether it is fit TO be inhabited by
beings like ourselves.
With respect to Mars it has been pro-
posed by certain very enthusiastic as
tronomers to determine the question,
Is the planet actually Inhabited? and
this is a more difficult as we'll as i'm
portant question than the mere inquiry
as to whether it is fit to be so inhabited
In my opinion the time has not yet
come to even speculate on the larger
question and my reason for saying this
Is that think it very doubtful II all OBJ
servatlons yet made, numerous as they
are, are at all sufficient to enable us tC
pronounce even the lesser inquiry.
There is very little doubt that by and
| by science will be able TO interpret al
or nearly all OF the phenomena nov
seen and to arrive at certainties. Jus'
now it must be confessed that only &
few things are certainly known with re-
| spect to our nearest planetary neigh
bors. l may. say that l observed the
planet at the opposition of 1875 and a.
every opposition since that time, anC
that my colleagues at Mount Hamilton
and myself have faithfully followed the
planet at the Oppositions OF 1888, 1890
and 1892. In fact, we are now giving
nearly all the time of the great tele
score to this work.
The Lick telescope has q magnifying
power of 1000. which would bring Mars
and its moons within an apparent dis.
tance of 800 miles from the earth al
the time of the nearest approach. But
Mars hangs at de :lination OF % de-
grees, and the greatest magnifying pow
cr that can be brought to bear upon hin
will not be over 700, It is thought. That
means that Mars can be brought ap
parently within $4,000 miles of the
earth, and will appear through the
telescope as II it were an object 90, ,00(
miles away viewed by the naked eye.