Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-10-19

hundred thousands or years ago.
At that time, the earth wss clothed
with luxurient vegetation, and the land, as
well as the water, was teeming with animal
life, and on a much grander scale than at
the present time. The seasons came and
went, night succeeded day, the moon shone
brightly, and apparently ''all went merry as
marriage bell" and this state of things
had been in existence for thousands of
years, but where was man: Probably not
thousandth part of the time that has
elapsed since the earth has been fitted for
the abode of animal life, has the hum4n
race been here to enjoy it. Reasoning from
analogy, then, the probabilities are that
Mars is without human life, as the earth
was for so many ages.
There is another thing that may have
some bearing upon the habitability of at
least the southern hemisphere of our neigh
boring planet. About $4,000 years ago,
the excentricity of the earth's orbit was
nearly, but not quite, that of Mars today.
This for reasons which cannot be given
here for lack of space, resulted, Gf the as
Economical theory of the cause of the
Ice Age be correct, and it doubtless is,)
in a long period of extreme cold in
each hemisphere, alternately embracing
the temperate as well as the frigid
zones, but admitting of short sum-
mer. While our hemisphere was by long,
cold and dreary winter, and short and hot
summer rendered practically uninhabit-
able except by hardy arctic animals, the
other was, enjoying mild and remarkably
equable climate from the polar regions to
the equator. About 100 900 years ago, a
similar state of things existed, but II less
degree. Mars is now in like condition,
only in greater degree. His summer
solstice in the southern hemisphere occurs
when the planet is near its perihelon,
which means that if we divide the year
there into two seasons, winter and summer,
the winter is &c days longer than the sum-
mer, while at the same time the planet IS
at the most distant paLt of its orbit, thus
rendering that hemisphere almost unfit for
habitation. In the northern hemisphere,
the case is just the reverse, of course, the
summer being 76 days longer than the
winter; the summer being, however, cool
and pleasant, owing to the immensely
greater distance of the planet at that sea-
son (27 millions of mlles) from the sun,
while the winters are mild and agreeable;
the planets greater proximity TO the sun
compensating for the greater obliqulty of
his rays. 1t is possible, therefore, that
Mars may be inhabited in its northern
hemisphere which is the one turned partial
ly from us during the present opposition,
while its southern is peopled only by ami
mails of the most hardy species, or remains
wholly desolate. Observations of the snow
caps of the planet seen to confirm the diff
ference in the climatic conditions of the two
hemispheres for while the one in the north
ern varies in area but little, the southern
is subject to great changes, reaching in
winter down to the 45th degree of latitude.
1t is possible, also, that Mars has been in
habited in past ages but is now in the condi-
ton the earth will be about 100000 years
hence when its orbit will again be greatly
elongated and perhaps all animal life for
ever extinct.
The famous 'canalli' discovered on the
disc of Mars by the eminent Italian astrono
mer, Schiaparelli, few years ago, cannot,
| think, be adduced as proof of mans ex-
istence there. They could not be visible if
much less than IS or so miles in width;
and as they extend in some instances, near
ly across the face of the planet, who can
believe for moment that they are the
work of human hands?
A man weighing $50 lbs. here would, at
the surface of Mars weigh but 45 lbs, and
this fact may have some bearing upon the
question of its habitability, but it is pre-
sumable that it man lives there, he is
adapted in all respects to the conditions sur
rounding him.
The moons of Mars form one of its most
interesting features. There are two of
them, Phebos and Diemos, appropriately
cd n I har r,rbt fur e
the attendants of the god Mars in ancient
mythology. They are the smallest bodies
known to exist in the heavens, and are only
visible in the most powerful telescopes.
They are not probably more than ten or
fifteen miles in diameter and possibly less.
Their orbits lie SO near the planet that of
necessity, they revolve about it with great
rapiiity.' Phebos in seven hours and 40
minutes, while Diemos requires 80 hours
and Is minutes. The latter rises in the
east ike any other well regulated planet
while the former rises in the west Every
nigh. is light up by at least one moon and
sometimes two illuminate the heavens.
What sight it would be to an observer
on Mars to see moon rising
in the east and gradually ascend
ing towards the meridian, while at
the same time, another one was mounting
the. western sky, the two meeting in mid
heaven, each passing through all of its
phases in a few hours, and one finally set
ting in the west while the other was sink
ing beneath the eastern horizon.
Many strange things have been revealed
by study of this interesting planet, but
there are many others hidden which, alas,
can never be known. Constant progress is
being made however, and astronomers are
ever on the alert, embracing every oppor-
tunity to add to the stock of knowledge
But too much must not be expected from
telescope observations which are of neces-
sity, only about equal to naked eye view
of an object at distance of five times the