The Coconino weekly sun. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1891-1896, 1896-11-12
The Work for the Year is Now
Finished.
The Big Glass Taken to tn city of
Mexico, Where Further Observa-
lions of Mars VIII he Made.

the west for suitable place Tor the
of an observatory found
one testing the '.seeing" here that it
came more neatly to perfect conditions
than any other point, and the result
was the erection of the Lowell obser-
vatory on the hill west of town.
Mr.. Lowel's special study is the
planet of Mars, and the work accom-
plished in Flagstaff in 1894 brought
the Lowell observatory into promi-
hence throughout the world.
In June last Mr.. Lowell commenced
the work of putting up the new tele-
scope, with twenty-four inch glass,
and on July 2Sd the study of Mars
began.
For work with the new instrument
the staff of the observatory has been
considerably increased. DR.. Il. j. j.
See of the University of Chicago, who
has done much work en the reduction
of the orbits of double stars, under
takes the search for and measurement
of double stars in the southern heavens.
He is assisted by. Mr.. W. A. Cogshall
of Grand Rapids. Mich. Mr.. ID. A.
Drew was added to the staff in the
department of Mars. Many interest
ing reports os the observation of Mars
have been reported.
Mr.. Lowell finds things gong on
upon the planet just as they did at the
same date-Martian date-two years
ago, or one year ago, Marian time.
for the length of the planets year is
nearly twice that Of ours. The same
seasonal changes" are taking place
and in the same order The ''dOubliDg.
up of some of the canals-a remarka-
BILE phenomenon, first observed by
Schiaparelli himself, the discoverer
of the canals, and seen by Mr.. Lowell
and other observers, taking place two
years ago in regular and orderly
way, which shows that, though thus
far wholly unaccountable, it has some
close relation with the advancing
season.
Our knowledge of Mars has been
very greatly extended in the last four
years. There can no longer be reas.
enable doubt that, while the planet
has water upon its surface, its water
supply is very small relatively to that
of the earth. and that the greenish or
grayish spots seen upon it are not
bodies of water-"seas"--as has here
tofore been supposed to be the case,
but are the planets lowlauds, owing
their color, in part at least, to vegeta-
ton. The existence of the 'canals"
long doubted, has been abundantly es-
tablished by the observations made at
Arequipa, Flagstaff, Mount Hamilton
and elsewhere, and the more distinctly
they are seen the more mystifying
they become. Mr.. Lowell is fully con-
WINGED that they are of an artificial
origin; and certainly. as they appear
in the drawings of them made by
those who have seen them best, they
are quite inexplicable on any theory
of natural origin. Can it be that
we are on the point of having proof
positive that Mars is now inhabited by
intelligent beings, as it is almost GER
tainly the scene of vegetable life and
doubtless of animal life of some sort?
Our nearest approach to Mars this
year will be on December 4th six days
before the date of Opposition" Our
distance will then be in round num-
bers 5000, 900 miles, and it is for the
observation OF the planet at that date
that the new glass is taken to the
City of Mexico. 1t is believed that
there will be less cloudy weather at
that date and that the planet will be
in more favorable position for study.
Mr.. Lowell left Tuesday for the
City Of Mexico, having in his charge
the new glass, which will occupy a
Pullman Stateroom during the journey
to Mexico. The telescope and other
apparatus will be shipped next week.
1t is probable that the new telescope
will be returned here next year.