Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05
be caused by the absorption of portion Of
| the light emitted by still glowing surface

be caused by the absorption Of a portion Of
the light emitted by still glowing surface
beneath.
Mars, in the constellation Aries, is now
at o'clock about as far to the west as
Jupiter is to the east of the meridian. Its
ruddy light still surpasses that of a star
of the first magnitude, although it Is barely
one-fifth as bright as when we passed 1t
two and half months ago. The planet
now presents the gibbous phase Of the
moon about two days before the full.
In Regard to Mars.
Recent observations upon Mars have led
to very important change of view regard
ing the nature of its surface markings-a
| change the more interesting because it con-
Germs the question Of the planets habitabil-
ity. In 1892 Prof.W. H. Pickering obtained,
at Arequipa, in Peru, the most satisfactory
view of Mars which probably has ever fall
en- to the lot of any astronomer, and he be-
came convinced that the so-called seas
and oceans" of Mars have been misnamed
and that there is really very little water on
the planet. Two rather small spots, which
We're CT deep blue color, he thought to be
bodies of water; the other dark areas, the
greenish or grayish colors of which give to
Mars somewhat the appearance of the
moon, seen with the naked eye, did not
seem to him to owe their color to the same
cause, at least not directly. Pickering be-
gan his observations at about the time of
the vernal equinox of the planets southern
cap diminish rapidly in extent as the
Marian season advanced, and simultane-
ously great changes took place in these
dark areaS-changeS OF color and changes
of form and extent.
Large seas also appeared where none
had before been visible. Similar changes.
though less extensive, had been observed
in previous years, and the commonly ac-
cepted explanation of them had been that
they were due to extensive foundations
caused by the melting of the polar SHOWS.
But Prof. Pickering was led to doubt the
correctness of this explanation. The rapid
ity with which the snow melted-two-thirds
of the cap having disappeared in a
months time-Seemed to him, in view OF
the weakened power Of the suns rays at
the distance of Mars good evidence that
there was very little snow to be melted
It's depth might have been no more than an
inch, and almost certainly its quantity was
not great enough to cause freshets which
would be visible to us as such. although the
liberated water might reveal itself indi-
rectly by stimulating the growth of vege-
taton.
DISPUTE About the Canals.
These changes in the Marian geography
Cor typography are among the phenomena
which have been closely watched during
the past summer and autumn, and while
there seems to be reluctance to accept
the extreme views of Prof. Pickering, 1t Is
generally conceded by those who have had
the best opportunities for forming an opln-
ion that a mistake has been made in as
suming that these dark areas upon Mars
are bodies of water, and that their color Is
due, in some measure at least, to vegeta-
ton.
1t is proper to say here, however, that M.
Schiaparell who has heretofore been re-
garded as the first authority in all matters
relating to Mars, is not a convert to the
new view His observations during the
season just closed have confirmed those OF
our American astronomers, so far as the
changes themselves are concerned; but he
still explains these changes on the inunda-
ton theory. He still regards his canals,
too, the very existence of which was for
years a disputed point among astronomers,
until the testimony to their reality became
overwhelming, as a part of the water sys-
TEN of the planet. They become more dis
tinct as the SHOWS melt, and he conceives
them to perform an important part In the
annual transfer of water from one to the
other pole of the planet.
AS matters rest, there seems to be simply
q question of the correct Interpretation to
be put upon observed facts. If the new
view shall finally be accepted, the import
ance of the discovery can hardly be over
stated. There will no longer be a necessity |
for supposing that Mars has a red vegeta-
ton, as has been done, to account for its |
rudy hue. Its oranSe-colored areas, here |
tofore mapped continents and islands, |
are more likely to be desert regions. Its |
darker portions are probably lowlands, and |
their greeniSh color and the changes seen |
to take place IN thcn indicate tnat Negela- |
ton upon Mars is green, as upon the earth, |
and that, like the earth's, it comes and |
goes with the seasons. With an earth-like |
vegetation as a starting point, the way is |
open for the reasonable suppoSition that |
animal life upon this planet is also essen
TALLY the same as upon the earth.
As to Encke's Comet.
Encke's comet, the first discovered of the
short period comets, and for other reasons
also an especially interesting member Of its
fraternity, was sighted" at Nice on the
S1st of October, rear the southwestern cor
ner of the Square of Pegasus 1t is rapidly
approaching, and is now in a position to
be readily picked up" with a field glass;
1t may be located thus: A diagonal run
from the northeastern to the southwes tern
corner of the Square" and continued be-
yond, to a distance rather greater than the
distance of the two corner stars apart,
strikes the star Alpha Aquarii, one of the
two second magnitude stars in the should
ers OF the Waterman. The comet is now
nearly on this line about three degrees
the length of the belt Of Orion-from Alpha
Aquarii.
The period of this comet is three and
one third years. The comet is usually
rather insignificant, telescope affair, but
it occasionally throws out a tail and be-
comes visible to the naked eye. 1t will |
make its perihelion passage on the 4th of
February, at which time it will be very
nearly between us and the sun. The con-
stellation Pegasus will now be found in the
early evening at high altitude toward the