Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-02
THE PLANET MARS.
What Prof. Asaph Hall Says of 0bserva-
lions Now Being Made


High in the southern heavens beyond Capri
cornus. the sea goat. speeds the planet Mars,
rushing onward through space toward this earth
at the rate Of the lightnings fash. 1. is paying
this mundane sphere tAe visit that il deigns
every fifteen years, and to do it must travel
l06, 900 900 miles through the realms of infinity
Within three days the planet will be within
IS 600 600 miles of this earth aud will then COM
mence its retreat to its utmost limit l4I 600 900
miles away.
To the naked eye the planet appears but a
luminous spot against the blackness Of the
armament, more brilliant, perhaps, than its
neighbors. Through the great telescope of the
naval observatory it is seen to be planet sur
rounded with an atmosphere. its surface dotted
at either pole great white masses that seem to
be snow. More, there are seen two attendant
satellites, moons they are, that accompany the
planet in its onward journey and play around
it, rejecting the light of thesun upon its surface
in siiyery brilliancy.
WATCHING IT CLOSELY NOW.
Nightly now upon this little sister Of the
earth is turned the calm, inquiring eve of
science, peering into its mysteries, calculating
its movements with mathematical precision and
endesvoring to pierce the veil Of distance
heavenly bodies from the ken OF mortal man.
At the naval observatory in this city Prof.
Asaph Hall is watching the approach of the
planet and its satellites with eager attention
he takes an unusual interest in the observation.
for, as every one knows, il was he who discoy-
cred the moons OF Mars and Arst announced to
the astronomical world their presence Since
July ii hast he hns made frequent observations
and especially in the last few days since the
planet has been approaching the most favor
able position.
PROF HALLS OBSERVATIONS.
Toa STAR man today Prof. Hall said that
his observations have been of rather technical
nature, relative TO the rotation of the planet
upon its axis and the movement of the satellites
The latter are found unchanged and the calcu-
lations previously made upon their movements
verified.
He has also observed the surface of the planet
itself, and has closely scrutinized the whitish-
looking mass at its south pole, supposed to be
snow. He has seen the mass diminish in area
as the movement OF the planet brings it more
directly under the sun, just such an effect is
produced in the melting of polar SHOWS upon
this earth. Prof. Hail finds no reason why peo-
pie should not think this is snow.
Prof. Hall has looked In vain for the double
canals of Schiaparelli. He has seen the long
lines, but they are single and do not appear 10
have any relation to each other. Schiapareli,
tuc tlulucIt ltdliaIl astronomer, saw these lines
and advanced the theory that they were the
parallel banks of immense canals Both the
naval observatory and the Lick observatory
have failed TO substantiate Schiaparelli's OBJ
servation in this regard.
MOVEMENTS OF THE SATELLITES.
In studying the movements of the satellites
Prof. Hall finds that one of them makes three
revolutions within twenty-four hours. The
satellite nearest the planet iS the smaller of
the two, being only eight miles in diameter
1t Is less than 1000 miles from the planet. The
other one which If Il, 900 miles distant is about
twenty mlles in diameter. II viewed from the
surface OF Mars they would appear to be about
one-f1fth the size of the full moon of this earth
and they revolve so rapidly that the inner one
appears to move through the sky from west to
east. and therefore rises in the west.
Thns fur the observations have not produced
any startling revelations, but the astronomers
expect that important discoveries will be made
within the next few days, as the planet ap-
proaches its most favorable position. Beyond
such Investigations Of the surface and atmos-
pheric conditions Of the planet as will be pos
slble the astronomers will be able to make some
mathematical reductions of value to science,
and which will be used in October, 1894, when
another favorable opportunity will be presented
in making and verifying minute calculations
upon the positions of the planet and satellites.
TEXAS cLAIRyoYANT.
Prof. Hall received a communication few
days ago from lady in Fort Worth. Tex, who
claims that her thirteen -year-old daughter is a
clairvoyant and holds communication with the
inhabitants Of Mars and can give minute de-
scriptions Of their customs laws and govern
ment. Her aid has not yet been solicited BY the
observatory. the scientists preferring to trust to
a telescope which can bring to view body Of
matter only four miles in diameter which is
situated 81, ,000, 900 miles away