The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-29
OPPOSITION OF MARS.


Mars is now nearer the eartn than at any
time since August, 1850. The opposition of
that year was the occasion Of such wide
spread interest that it is probably still fresh
in the minds of most readers 1t certainly
served a good purpose in familiarizing the
general public with a few facts in a branch
of science hitherto little understood. 1t was
really remarkable what intense interest was
taken in the subject Of the Availability of
Mars. A few third-rate astronomers. gifted
with wild and vivid imaginations, sought 10
advertise themselves by airing their views
on the subject, knowing that it had a Pc
culiar fascination for most people. Editors
| scented the possibility Of a news item which
would far eclipse In Importance any of this
age, or of any age; for, certainly the man
who should first observe and prove the eX-
istence of life on Mars could claim a dis
covery beside which all others that ever
came from the brain of man since the world
began would be of little moment. The craze
spread before reputable astronomers could
give it it's deserved ~ouietus, and soon 1t
bid fair to rival the famous moon hoax OF
a few generations back, when a certain
seaentiit the sla po@er 6 5G t have tele immens by sOm me
new optical invention and TO have discov-
cred cities, buildings. and even a strange
the moon. The absurd story actually gained
credence for a considerable length Of time;
in these days. and there We're few who
seriously expected any sensational discov-
cries in regard to Mars. At any rate. as the
in our evening skies, we shall remember
What Professor keelers OF the Aliegheny
element on the question Of the habitability
Of Mars was not justified by any known
facts. nor was it shared by working astron-
omers. The solution is still too remote to
make discussion profitable except for exer-
else of the imagination. or for amusement
These wise words of caution are being
needed now, and there is apparently little
popular interest taken in the present OPP
p%osition; in fact, not as much as 1t de-
serves, for ii is considerably more favor
hemisphere than was the one of 1892. This
is because the planets altitude Is now very
much greater than then. when Mars with
a south declination of 2312 degrees never
rose more than 26 degrees above the hori-
zon, in this latitude; l. e., less than one
third of the distance to the zenith. Now
it's altitude here is about IS degrees, and
the telescope advantage of This high alti-
sharpness of the image being much in
creased, simply because the observer now
mass of air. Professor Keller already re-
ports some very satisfactory Views of
Mars, and has observed some very start
ling changes in the region of the Soils
Locus. The latest news from the Lick OBJ
servatory corroborates his observations in
a most gratifying way, Professor Schae-
berries drawings with the thirty-six-inch
telescope showing almost exactly the same
changes noticed in Allegheny. Professor
Keeler's work here with very inferior means
and great atmospheric disadvantages has
certainly been wonderfully successful. for
his observations always mman the re-
spectful attention of the whole scientific
world. We can certainly congratulate our
selves on having in Allegheny an observer
second to none. .are
One powerful argument against the prob
ability of Mars being inhabited must al
ways be the constant occurrence Of such
changes on the planets surface as those
mentioned above; A change such as If the
as far as the Mississippi would be a mere
incident on Mars. You see life on that
planet would have its Inconvenience. to say
the least. If they ever succeed In translat-
ing those signals we used to hear about,
doubtless the first one We get from the un-
happy Marsians will be an earnest appeal
for us to stop and take them aboard. Per-
haps NJ Flammarion will then devise some
ing the MarsianS via airline.
Speaking of those signals, there are a few
difficulties in the way of signaling which
do not seem TO occur to some writer's. in
the first place, both planets could not sig-
of reflected sunlight. AT the present time
signals could be flashed from Mars direct
ly toward the earth. but when you consider
that we are now directly between Mars
be quite impossible for us to reflect any
sunlight toward Mars Our dark or night
side is always turned toward Mars and
will be until a considerable time after OPP
position, and by the time the earth has
moved from between the sun and Mars
and forms a sharp enough angle with the
two to permit of reflection from the one
to the other, then the distance to Mars
will be so enormously increased that any
such thing as signaling would be quite out
of the question, even supposing 1t to have
been possible in the first place. So it will
to communicate with us than it is for us
with 1t. Perhaps we can console ourselves
with the lss. fact tn that ts WE stand t5nf M II abS Sass the he
us. and if we find it impossible to respond
to Mars's messages why we can just pass
them on to the next. Mars and Venus were
old lovers according to the Greeks, and the
old war god ought still to have some tender
messages for the fair goddess of love.
If he has we are prepared to forward them
at the usual rates.
But of course this whole subject of signal
ing Is visionary, and not considered worthy
of any serious regard by reputable scien-
lists.
just a word abo't these opposltions of
Mars. They are such interesting and sim
pie phenomena that ii seems a pity that
more do not understand them. Remember
that Mars and the earth both rev0lve
around the sun, the orbit or path of the
earth being within that of Mars. Sun,
earth and Mars are now in a straight line.
earth in the middle.
Now the earth moves much more rapidly
than Mars, and in a few months will have
moved out of the line, and will be consider
ably ahead of Mars in their course around
the sun. In a year from now the earth
will have returned to the same place In its
only about half way around. That is, next
October Mars, sun and earth Will be lined
up again, but this time the sun will be in
the middle, and Mars will be invisible.
Now if Mars went around the sun in ex-
actly two years then in October, 1896, the
two planets would line up just as they now
are. But Mars takes less than two years
t6s7 days. TO complete its circuit around the
sun, and consequently will arrive again at
it's present position before the earth has
had time to get around twice. But after
fifty days in the earth's third lap the earth
will have overtaken Mars. and in Deem
Der, 1896, Mars will again be in opposition.
At some oppositions the earth is much
nearer Mars than at others, for Mars's
nearer the earth's path than the rest OF
this point the two planets are unusually
close together, as now and in 1892. The
next one will not be nearly so favorable,
the next still less, and Mars will not be SO
bright again until 1909. So IL is worth your
while to take a good look at this magnif.
cent object, so marvellous a counterpart
of our own world. the next chance you get
through a telescope If possible. The planet
rises at sunset and is quite un~mistakable
in the east by 7:30 p. m.