Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-04-21
ELKo, NEVADA, SUNDAY, April u, 1895.
THE WEATHER ON MARS.
Visible Evidences of a Warm
Spoil on tho Planet.
An Extensive Thaw Observed Which In
dicated n summer Season In tho
Southern Hemisphere OF Our
NciEhborlnE World.

Among the most interesting observa-
tions of Mars during the recent opposi-
tion were those relating to the gradual
disappearance of the snow cap sur
rounding its southern pole. The disap-
pearancc was due. of course, to the
fact that it was summer in the south
ern hemisphere of Mars, and the polar
SHOWS melted more and more rapidly
as the sun rose higher upon them. Yet,
although the reason was plain, and be-
cause it was plain, one could not watch
the process without experiencing n
strange feeling that amounted almost
to awe. 1t is quite easy, says the Sci
cntific American, to think dispassion-
atcly of the possibility that some things
may go on in other worlds just as they
do in this one rs long ;!s your eyes have
not confirmed what is in your mind;
but when peering through telescope
you actually behold such occurrences,
the effect is startling. 1t is like com
ing suddenly III broad daylight upon
the scenery of dream. On June
the snow around the south pole of Mars
was 2,i00 miles across. \ snow cap of
Oh TIC
would, in the northern hemisphere, cx-
tend as far south as st. Petersburg, the
southern point of Greenland and Mount
st. Elias in Alaska. BY July the di-
ancter of the snowy area had dimin-
ishcd to about 1.5O0 miles. On August
il was only / 100 miles and on August
81, the date of the summer sOlsticc in
the southern hemisphere OF Mars. the
l.
heat accumulatcs in Martian summer
after the sun has begun to decline. just
rs it does upon the earth, and accord
ingly the melting of the SHOWS contin-
ucd after the solstiCc was passed. At
the end of September the diamctcr of
the snow-covcrcd region was only about
$50 miles, and at the opening of Novem-
Der it was less than 200 miles.
Now comes n curious fact. About the
middle of October it was reported that
the polar snow cap OF Mars had van
ishedi some of the most powerful tclc-
scopes failed to reveal n trace of Il!
Yet it is not probable that it had actual
ly entirely disappeared. The cXplana-
tion of the apparent disappearance is
no doubt to be found in the fact that
as the snow area diminished it left the
pole uncovered by rcccding to one side.
for previous observations have shown
that on Mars, as on the earth, what
may be called the pole of cold
does not correspond in location with tic
pole of the planets axis. Schiaparclli's
observations in 1877 and 1879 showed
that the center of the snow cap during
its minimum in those years was dis
placed toward that side of the pole
corresponding to an arcographic longi-
tudc of about 40 degrees. With the
other side of tho planet turned toward
the earth the snow cap would
have been invisible, being, so TO
to speak, hidden behind the pole. This
is apparently just what occurred
in the middle of October last. The
south pole was then free from ice, and
the center of the snowy region was
displaced, as in 1877 and 1872 along the
meridian of 10 degrees. But il was on
the other side of the planet which was
at that time presented toward the
earth during the best hours for obscr-
vation, and consequently no polar snow
was seen; not because IL had no exist
cncc, but because 1t was concealed.
1t is probable, however, that nt its
minimum the snow cap was cXccCdinr.
y i:.iail. perhaps less than one hundred
r'i,sS Ia diameter. No such rapid and
.at cStSnsivo disappearance of snocy
ana Ice ever occurs upon the earth. ul-
though the advocates of an open polar
sen may find encouragement in the
fact that the uncovered South pole of
Mars corresponds In color and general
appearance with what are believed to
DC the water areas of that planet, while
what remains of the snow cap in such
circumstances rests apparently upon n
mass of land. perhaps no more than an
island rising out of the polar ocean.
OWING to the lnrgcr ccccntricity of its
orbit, the extremes of temperature on
Mars are greater than upon the earth,
although the total amount of tho solnr.
heat received by the planet Is less than
hnlf as much rs we get. But more inn
portant than these differences Is the
rarity of Mars atmosphere. which has
been so clearly demonstrated by the
recent spcctroscopic observations of
Prof. Campbell. IL may not be scicn-
tiiic, but IL Is certainly human 10 ask
whether IL Is probable that human be-
iDgs resembling ourselves were includ-
cd In the field Of view of our tclcscopra
last autumn, while we watched the
southern SHOWS oi Mars sparkling 10
the sun ana melting away ut his ardent
touch. IL such bcings nre there thrv
must exist In an atmosphere lcgs than
ono-qunrtcr rs extensive as the cnrth's.