The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-07-17
THE NORTH POLE.
Its Appearance Judged by That
OF Mars
An Able AstHonomeR's Observation 01
the North PSlaR Cap Of the Plant
Shows What Ours Nay
Lock Like.

Although no human being has ever
laid eyes on the north pole, and never
may do %, in spite of the efforts be-
ing made to discover" that point, we
are now for the first time enabled to
know with more or less positiveness
exactly what the north pole looks like.
The planet Mars, which closely resem-
bles the earth, not only in size and sea-
sons, but in the high degree OF civiliza-
ton which its inhabitants are sup
posed to have reached, has north pole
This north pole of Mars has now for
the first time been seen and observed.
1t has been closely scrutinized in a
powerful telescope by an astronomer
who has given years to the observa-
.tfon of Mars and who waited anxiously
until the planet. in the slow revolu-
ton of its changes, turned its north
pole to the earth. .-.H.
This observer was Prof. Leo Brenner,
who has published technical descrip-
ton of his work in the last number
of the Astronomischen Nachrichten.
In this article he tells, in the queer
language which astronomers use, how
he watched the south polar cap Of Mars,
observing it grow toward the equator
when autumn set in upon the planet,
then seeing it recede when spring began
ON Mars and the snow melted, giving
water to the numerous canals, along
the sides of which vegetation (known
by it's bright green color) was seen to
spring up.
During all this time Mars was slowly
getting into a position which brought
it's north polar cap more and more into
view. As this north polar cap, which
has been turned away from the earth,
came within the field of Prof. Bren-
ner's telescope, the south pole cap re-
ceded.
FINALLY the north pole itself rose
above the horizon. Many people have
an idea that there is hole or a noun
tain or some other natural phenom-
enon at the north pole of the earth.
There was, however, no such pecul-
iarity to be observed about the north
pole of the planet Mars. The fact that
it was the north pole was only to be de-
termined by the exact science of the
astronomer.
Prof. Brcnner knew precisely what
spot in the great, white field of snow
and ice Gaping the planet was it's north
pole, and he marked it out with pen
ell point upon the map beside him as lie
looked. A photograph taken Of the
north pole of Mars showed that it was
precisely the same as the adjacent ter
ritory for thousands of miles, consist
ing of immense fields of hillocky ice.
There was no open polar sea such as
many explorers have believed to exist
about the north pole of this earth.
Mars, in the years that have passed
since the science of astronomy was be-
gun, has frequently turned it's north
pole toward the earth. But because
of the smallness and weakness of our
telescopes, we have been unable hither-
to to closely scrutinize that point.
During the last rs years the great
Lick telescope has been built, and large
American-made telescopes have been
set up in Europe. It was through one
Of these great magnifying instruments
that Prof. Brenner made his obser-
which would not have been
possible quarter of century ago.
He is the first man who has ever
observed the north pole Of
the planet Mars. These observations
would not carry so much weight IL
they had been of Venus, Saturn or any
other planet.
But Mars 50 closely resembles the
earth that it il believed the conditions
prevailing on the north pole of one
prevail likewise on the north pole of
the other. The seasons and the seas
and continents of Mars resemble those
Of the earth. sss
Moreover, it's inhabitants are believed
to be far more advanced than ourselves,
as is shown by their elaborate system
IF artificial canals, built on gigantic
scale, and first observed by the astron-
omer Schiaparelli. The flashlights they
have been making are also believed to
be attempts to signal to the people of
The earth, but our poor achievements
in science are so meager that we are
1T the present time unable to flash u
signal back, our most up-to-date sys-
tenn of illumination being altogether in
adequate for the task.-N. Y. Journal.