New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-17
THE ATMOSPHERIC OF MARS.
EVIDENCE OF ITS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. As 7
DEPTH

EVIDENCE OF ITS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. As To
ITS DEPTH.
The announcement by Professor Campbell OF 'he
lick observatory that his spectroscopic studies OF
Mars Indicate that that planet has scarcely any at
n,os,hcre naturally raises the question. What ev1-
dsoce has been found heretofore that there IL any
o,- ,here at all? In the first place. after II became
certaio that some OF the CONGREGATIONS OF Mars
we're not mere shifting cloud-forms but were peruia
nent and hence geographical, IL was Prc"'Feu 'na'
these features were more distinctly penep'lne near
the centre OF the dsc than at rs edge Asbght gray
ish or blush observation seemed 70 haunt ''e
,ordsrs much of the time Secondly. faint local
areas Of cloudiness are seen at times. wh'cn 'eih
norarlly impair the sharpness with wh'ch coh''"e'
outlines are perceived. Thirdly. while no signs Vi
violent storms have been noticed. the'extshsioh Vi
the noIar CAPS Supposed TO be OF ice) which met
away TO almost nothing In summer. suggest 'he
,rohabi,,v that evaporation. transportation OF wafer
yapor from place to place. and precipitation III '"e
firm Of snow are common occurrences. All "a 'ieSe
pbenomena have been taken 20 mean mat MARS mas
an otmosphere OF some SORT behaving 'nich Ike tha'
OF the eaitN ,,,
7, was NOT until 1862 that Rutherford Hugg'ns
md others began 70 examine the various planets
with a spectroscope. 1t was then discovered liza.
Mars did not shine by any Hight OF us owh' out
merely reflected solar rays But the appearance Vi
"ahso-ption bands" In the spectrum OF the planet
which did not appear the solar spectrum indicates
tina, N. Ugh, passed through some nedium around
that orb which distracted certain rays some OF
these absorption lines were identified as correspond
ing TO those produced by our own atmosphere IN the
solar spcctrum but others were peculiar 10 Mars.
for ~ the instrument were directed TO the moon al
.ho s,,,e .,ne the lines last mentioned would be
.,ssro In 1867 Seecai, the eminent Italian as
,ronomer reported the result OF MS spectroscopic
researches that the characteristic atmosphere lines
IN ,he spectrum Of Mars came out more strongly
whom the edge OF the planet was examined than from
hCwv
a, ,,r,e Oh nd rarened Vogel. In Germany. In lSfZ
mad. observations confirming those OF Huggins ana
secchi espcc,ally the presence OF water Vapor
IN the Marian atmosphere
Professor Campbelrs observations are somewhat
Of variance with those OF Higgins and Secchi; for
49, as not find any lines In the spectrum OF Mars
q, cannot be seen also II that OF the moon.
w',h 4. supposed 10 be devoid Of air. and he per-
ceN. no greater intensity when examining the
e cage at the centre Of the disk OF Mars; But
,ical spectroscopy was only In It's INFANCY
cnrea byrs ago and the latest spee,rNsocope s n
e seerer to those used By Husgns
and se Sa,, 1851 Moreover. Professor Campbell
verdict aee.se. il not conclusive is entitled to
ton Mar. is a. taller body than the earth. and;
earlier Hence it baar wdS , nto
s sSaSss mu again 'Hr original heat than the
are in about the p ortion r OF iss to ico and
e tne ratio Of @ to orb OF our ,ha
earth. YET the CROWN Htr liminution Of It's polar
earth possibly m,idcr! Ars hn IKE oniW u explsn"
ton Of this surprising fact III has been received
planet is warmer than ours. checks radiation
more efrectually To be sure. IL material which
stance which passes from the iai.dI 70 The solid
state at a much lower temperate, We have
vapor in the atmosphere Of Mars and md n hart
to reject the notion that 1t is this confused into
ice which makes those transitory whit patche1
near the termin Of the planets axis. II thy snppo
stion be correct It Is not necessary that ~ depth
Be different. IT. can hardly contain more mo,tur,
than ours: for Mars exhibits much less cloudAes
than the earth. But vapors OF entirely direi M
kind may. perhaps. perform the Office of blank
still more effectuay.
Professor Campbell infers from the scantiness {
the Marian atmosphere that human llfe canine
exist on the planet In question. The probabfiltit
certainly do seem to point that way. The ute
inck OF real evidence forbids reasoning people