The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-24

again when it set, at O'CLOCK the next
morning.
THE inner satellite revolves in seven
hours thirty-eight minutes, equivalent to
eight hours six minutes, Martial time. This
is nearly three times rs fast as the planet
itself revolves on its axis; so that the di-
uTDal motion OF this satellite is toward the
east, rising in the west and setting in the
east. II it met the sun on the meridian to-
day it would set in the east, pass around
the planet, rise in the west aud again
reech the meridian thirteen minutes after
midnight, and, passing entirely around q
second time, reach the meridian at twenty
six minutes after noon. During this time
II would have passed through all its phases
three times.
Although Mars has two moons, and per-
haps three, il has not a moon like ours, fol-
/ lowing the sun and stars in the diurnal mo.
ton and changing in form and position hut
/ little Rt each revolution. Their changes re-
, semble those of the insects that live but a
day. and their apparent motion is in the
one case so slow rs 10 be almost at ress In
. the heavens like beacon light and in the
other IN direction contrary to that of the
sun and stars and contrary to all our ex-
perience OF celestial molten"
In addition to the proximity of the near
est satellite, leaving no room for another,
there is the additional evidence that al
though the safcll tes have been seen in the
great LICK telescope when only nne-eighth
of their brightness al their first discovery,
and have been carefully observed from the
time of their discovery, at Washington.
Mount Hamilton and elsewhere, no other
satellite has been discovered. On the other
hand ii must be reInem bered that sixty
years elapsed after the discovery OF the
seven old satellites of Saturn before the
discovery OF Hyperion, and that this eighth
satellite was discovered, not within the
inner satellites before known. but in an
orbit between the two outer satellites
The chances for the discovery of an
additional satellite Of Mars appear
TO me 10 rest wholly upon the space
outside OF the known satellites II must
be extremely minute 10 have escaped
detection, since at every revolution itmust
have been twice for short period close TO
the planet when passing between US and
tho planet, and again when passing behind
the planet. Telescope stars frequently
occupy similar position, ana such minute
stars c0ulo not be found upon any chart or
in any catalogue: and yet 1t seems incred-
ible that satellite should not have excited
suspicion il seen at all, and still more in
credible, that If suspected il should have
escaped the scraiiny which would natur-
ally follow, since in an hour, or even less.
its motion might be observed. The question
What is the probability that there exists O
satellite sufficiently bright to be seen
under the exceptionally favorable opportu-
mites of the present year, but not bright
enough TO be seen at ordinary times. ana
that such satellite will happen during
the observation Of Mars with the largest
telescope TO come into such a position as TO
be suspected. For my own part think
there is far greater probability of the sup
posed discovery Of satellite which does
not exist, from the observation OF some
telescope star, than of the genuine dis
covery Of new Satellite
If such satellite exists, whence did It
originated From the breaking up of a
ring, according TO the ncbular hypothesis
OF La Placel Or from the capture of some
meteorite flying through spacel Either
theory is fraught with difficulties well
nigh insurmOuntable. But as we have not
yet succeeded in asce-tainlne the origin Of
the satellites already known to exist. it
may be well to need the advice of Mrs.
Glass on cooking hare. FIRST, catch your
hare" First let US catch the new satel-
lite in the telescope before we rack our
brain with theories to account for its ex-
istence.
DISCOVERIES OF scHTApARELL1.