The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-01-16
scHIAPARELLrs MAP OF MARS.

the nearest and had diameter Of
twonty-throe and a half seconds and
this time his least distance win be g.
OO0. coo miles and his diameter only
eighteen seconds. a partial compensa-
ton for this diminished size. however
Is found In tho greater elevation OF the
planet above the southern horizon.
when Il crosses the meridian. On sew
raj recent occasions u was so low ihat
atmospheric impurities embarrassed
The astronomers who studied the Mar
tian surface: but on the present ocoa-
sion the circumstances are exceptional
ly favorable In this respect
How great an advantage this Is WIZ
be partially realized when one recalls
the controversy recently started In re-
gard 10 the extent OF the atmosphere OF
Mars This has been considered less
han that OF the oarih's. but still rather
considerable. One class Of evidence adj
iueed IN support Of such notion was
hat which Higgins. Vcgcl and other
astronomical spectroscoplsts believed
hat they had found years ago. In the
,peetrum Of Mars they detected lines
Indicative OF the presence OF water va
Dor. and this created the necessity for
I'M aerial envelope IN which the water
yapor could be suspended. During the
opposition Of 1891. however. Professor
W. W. Campbell, OF the Lick ohserya-
Tory. made spcctroscopic observations
which led him TO suspectihlt the moist
ure previously detected was really in
the carth's own atmosphere. and not
In the environment OF Mars In fact
ne vas inclined 20 believe that that
planet was almost or quite "a devoid
OF air as the moon. which Is credited
with an exceedingly small quantity
Professor Camphell's announcement o.
these observations and convictions Gre
nted a sensation IN the astronomical
world. The question Is now regarded
as an open one, and special researches
will doubtless be- undertaken az the
present time with a view to i,s settle
mont
The seas and Canals.
Another problem which is receiving q
great deal OF attention relates 10 thos,
dark areas hitherto called seas" and
the narrower lines called canals" Ar,
they really bodies and streams OF wa.
ter. or aye they masses and E,roaks o
vegetation? Perhaps throo-iour,hs o
| the surface OF Mars has a hue almos
/ uniformly ycllowish-Tcl Pretty niue.
Ian of tho northern hemisphere Ghowl
I Zoo tha lower h1lf 90 tbc drawings. h.
cause an astronomical telescope lnygrt
,ho lm8rCi. and Cd barge portion oi th.
southern hCu.a sphere. present such ai
appearance. This area has generally
. been taken fer o. land surface. A lars
tract surrounding ODE south pole, an,
some detached oal0ug patches near d
are gresnish-hluc in color. ana wCg.
long ihoueht to De- oceans aud seas
The narrow lines called canals, wh.ol
gro not over uliccp or twenty mile
wide. and which in,ouect the cont
mental area, are also dark, sometimes
definitely black aud sometimes onl
gray. but strongly resembling IA colo
the sombre-hued regions Jus, men
toned
Now. while these various marking
have been seen often enough IN exactly
the same position 10 give them an ap
pc..ranoe OF permanence, and TO make
possible an elaborate chart OF the Mar
tian surface they have oAs'bi,ed some
puEzllng changes Of outline ane tint
Il win sometimes happen that n So
called sea viii be sharply defined. On
other occasions Us edges are vague
their color shading away TO a pale gray
scarcely distlnguishable from eonti-
mental borders which have also lost
something Of their characteristic hue.
Moreover. the extent OF the seas" IL
greater a. ono time than a another.