Arizona silver belt., 1894-08-18
STUDYING TIE PLANET MARS.


 The San Francisco Examiner, of Aug. 18th, contains an interesting ar- ticle upon the observation of Mars by the Lowell Observatory, at Flagstaff The Lowell Observatory is situated at night of seyenty-two hundred feet, in an atmosphere that is almost perfect for visual observation, Its chief instru- mont is an i6-inch telescope, which is one of the largest lenses in this country
 Mars and the earth are coming nearer together and when they arrive in op- position to the sun, October 20th., will be closer to each other than they will be again for fifteen years.
 It is now springtime in the southern hemisphere of Mars Summer begins on August 31st. In order the better to understand whst may then and there after be seen, up to and beyond the period of opposition, observations of the present vesnal phenomena are all but essential. As the orbit of Mars is outside that of the earth, that half of his surface which is turned towards the earth at the period of opposition will be entirely illuminated by the solar rays. It will be ''fulp Mars, much like full moon,
 Although those of Mir, Lowell's ob- seryatona which he has made the topic of his first publication were taken about four months before opposition, when Mars was nearly twice us far dis tant as he will be eventually, they have yielded some excellent results He has seen twelve of the socalled ca- uals, which are by far the most inter- estiug features of the Martian topog- raphy.
 The astronomer who accept the ce- nal theory believe that these immense water ways were constructed by intel ligent beings, inhabitants of Mars, probably for purposes of irrigation, Mars ie a much older planet tam the earth and its surface is parched and loveled by the hand oi time. There is room for belief, therefore, that Mars sorely needs means of artificial irriga- ton, and there are still other facts to support the hypothesis that he actually has them. For in the Martian winter and sprieg bis canals are not conspicuously visible from the earth; then, soon after the yernal equinox, they begin to sho themselves, and after.the summer sol stice they are at their besi Tor the ob- server. In a Httlo while they grow less clear ogala and in the Martiau winter once more fade from view. This apparent Pariodicity, corresponding year after year to the procession of the seasons, may, therefore, be ascribed to the growth of vegetation on the banks of the canals and through the adjacent country.
 Of course, tEe canals are not all that Mir. Lowell and his staH haze noticed on the face of the planet They have seen the polar aaows melt and flow uorthward, giving rise to the phenom- ena that seem to imply the flooding of the south temperate zonei and they have witnessed some strange happenings iu the polar cap, including the appear ance of one CT two star-Hke points within the yellow eclipse, which are probsbiy the glistening peaks of polar mountains
 It is chiefly the southern half of Mars that is now observable, but even in this quarter of the Martian world there are quite enough canals to keep the at- tcntion of the astronomers busy while they last As the season advances the observers at Flagstaff may expect more and more from their work, and before winter closes in upon them they sEou,l have Q great amount of very valuable scientific material gt Land.