Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-04
SATELLITE AND STAR.
Jupiter's Fifth Moon. Sets the As.
tronomerS to Wrangling.
CARTRIGHrS CLAIMS DISPUTED.
Surface Changes on Mars Puzzle the
Students of the Heavens.
LATE OBSERVATIONS In SOUTH AMERICA

SAN JOSE, CAL, Oct 3-The followin
isa communication from Prof Barnard cor
cerning the discovery of Jupiters ffi
moon:
''My attention has been called to tell
graphic dispatch going the rounds OF tn
press to the effect that Mr.. Cartright, o
Detroit, has presented claim for the fiftt
satellite of Jupiter, backed up with affi
dayits of startling nature. have already
in an article published September 70, show
the folly of such claims, if for no other reaso
than the fact that the satellite can only
seen with the giant telescope OF the world
None of these claimants have ever bee
heard of before in connection with any as
Economical work, good or bsd or lnditer
ent.
81 only notice this claim of Mr.. Cart
rights because the statement is made IN the
dispateh referred to that is as detestabie az
it is contemplate and requires reply. IDs
dispatch saws: 1T would seem apparent tina
letters sent TO observatories, at any rate
that one sent to Lick observatory dlrectl,
inspired the discovery OF the fifth satellite
by Prof Barnard But as to the dispatch,
1 would say that up to the present momen
auy letter ever sent to Lick observatory by
Mr. Cartripht has never been seen or ever
been heard of by me, and know nothing
absolutely nothing, Of the existence OF a!l
such letter. / have no doubt that every OBJ.
servatory of any consequence In the world
has dozens OF such letters in Its files with
claims about a mythical planet within 6
couple of degrees of Uranus, and with g
satellite up near the north pole of the
heavens pointed out by a spirit on the stai
Vega, and the discovery OF double canals on
Mars with the naked eye. These two let
ters actually exist.
Prof. Young Adds His Testimony.
SIN connection with my statement of the
difficulty of seeing this satellite with even
large telescope, 1 am sure Prot. Young
is SO well known that everybody will par.
don my quoting from a letter just received
from him in reference to the discovery,
His instrument at Princeton is the third
largest in America 1t is 23-inch Clark
telescope and is as perfect an instrument as
can be made. He writes: L tried my best
to see the satellite but without success. l
suppose that the telescopes at Washington,
2S-inch, and Charlottesville, 25-inch, with
mine here, 23-inch, are the only ones in
this country which would have the least
chance of being able to see the object. l
take it for granted that in giving its magni-
tude as the 18th you mean that it is Of the
same apparent brightness as 18th magni-
tude star at that distance from the planets
limb. If so it is a question whether could
possibly see it l rather think L could, but
am by no means confident that L could.
''He writes for the positions of the satel-
lite and Just where and when 10 look for it.
l have not vet heard of the new satellite
being seen with any telescope in the world
except the Lick 36-inch. Suppose Mr..
Cartright and Mr.. Cooley come to definite
understanding between them which of the
two is to have the satellite, the fortunate
one then settling his difference with me"
New Observations of Mars.
The Just issued number of Astronomy a
scientific magazine edited by Prof w. W.
Payne, of Carleton College, contains sew
eral valuable papers on the recent observa-
tions of the planet Mars. The first is by
Prof Edward s. Holden, who under date of
August 1S, explains the work done by the
big Lick telescope in California giving his
conclusions as follows:
81 may briefly state my individual con-
clusions, as derived from a comparison of
INV own observations of Mars at the oppo-
sition of 1875 and at all succeeding ones to
be that the changes in the surface features of
Mars as we now know them, are probably
not capable OF being completely explained by
terrestrial analogies.. What are we to make
of the lake called Fons Juventm, for ex-
ample, which was single object in 1877,
which was not visible in 1879 and which
has been both single and double during the
present year? The dark areas on Mars may
be water and the red areas land; but how
are we to explain the family colored areas
like Hesperia or Deucalionls Regio? Are
they waste shoals like the grand banks of
Newfoundland? Are they solid land or
are they water?''
SIS it conceivable that an observer on
Mars, examining the earth in any
part of its recent history, would have
seen any such amazing topographic changes
as we have this year observed, not to speak
of changes from opposition to opposition?
1t appears to me that a careful examination
of the long series of drawings of Mars,
which we owe to Prot Schiaparelli and to
others, up to the present time, will make it
evident that there are enormous difficulties
in the way OF completely explaining the
recorded phenomena by terrestrial analo-
gies unless we also introduce serious modi-
fcations."
Prof. Pickering's Researches.
Prof William II. Pickering, of Harvard
College, who has been observing Mars in
South America, writes at length under date
of Arequipa, Peru, August l, 1892. He
gives with great detail report of his OBJ
seryations, which showed many and rapid
changes on the planet, and in conclusion
says:
SIN seeking to explain these observations
would merely point out the fact that the
changes occurred at time when the snow
was melting with great rapidity, that dark
channel suddenly appeared July u, which
had not been seen at the last previous OBJ
servation of this region, June 13. that it
shortly disappeared again, and that a few
days after this event the Northern Sea
largely increased in area temporarily. or at
least that its southern shores became much
darker.
81 think these changes cannot be e1-
planned by arean cloud effects We have
already observed large whitish patches
upon the planet. which undergo consider
able change in shape and extent from night
to night We are now studying them care
fully, although we find them rather difficult
of observation. These changes we are in
clined to refer to clouds, although the mat
ter is not SO simple as it might at first ap-
pear. If these effects are really due to
clouds, they are quite different in character
from the other changes noted"
Other papers describing the observations
made in various parts of the world are also
published, but they have already been GOV.
cred In these dispatcbes