Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1902-02-07

degrees. The planet Jupiter receives
only LIS part of the light and heat,
which we receive. Thus it seems, that
the more perfect vegetable and animal
types found on this earth, could scarce
ly exist there Mercury and Venus re-
ceive so much heat from the sun, that
all the more perfect plants and animals
of this earth, would be killed there.
AS we have seen already the most in
teresting planet in this regard, is Mars.
But it must be stated that Mars receives
only 40, not half the light and heat
which we receive from the sun. The
year 1905 will throw more light on this
question, because in that year better
opportunity will be had for studying
the details about Mars. About once
every two years the planet Mars comes
into opposition" as it is called. At
such time the Earth, Sun and Mars
are almost in the same straight line,
with our Earth between the other two.
The planet and Sun are on opposite
sides Of us, and the diurnal rotation Of
the Earth, which brings the sun on me-
ridian at midday, brings Mars, when
in opposition, on the meridian at mid
night. I will explain as clear as possible
to my readers, why Mars and the Earth
sometimes get nearer to one another
The Earth's orbit is less eccentric than
the one of Mars. 1t is more circular
If both were travelling in circular orbits
they would be nearest together once
every 780 days. Then Mars being near
er to us than at other times looks much
brighter and appears larger in the tele-
scope. But the orbits of both are clip
ses, so that sometimes the more eccen-
trio orbit Of Mars and the curve of the
less eccentric orbit of our Earth, makes
great variation in the distance. This
happened in 1877 and 1892, when both
planets were separated by only about
30, 900, 900 miles, or of the earth's
distance from the sun. The close APP
proach of 1877 was a conquest for as
tronomy, because Professor Hall dis
covered by his big Washington tele-
scope that Mars has two little moons.
This planet received particular scrutiny
from the great Italian astronomer
Schiaparell1, who discovered polar caps.
seas and continents in Mars and also
the famous canals. Schiaparelli's re-
markable observations of a net work of
straight canals and their doubling were
questioned for years, but the confrma-
ton they finally received at Nice and
also from an American observatory,
largely removed the doubt. This OBJ
servatory is situated at Flagstaff, Ari-
IONA, and is founded by the famous
astronomer Mr.. Lowell His observa-
tions are indeed interesting but Prof.
Lowell seems TO presuppose the exist
ence of human beings upon Mars and
therefore sees in every observed detail
confirmation of this theory strong as
Holy Writ. Many points still remain
unsettled and we must yet wait three
years before the mysteries of Mars,
SUA1UAo' OS1o3 hAOuibnAnS dIO iii uldu6
clear to our vision. but have the opin
ion of Prof Campbell of the Lick OBJ
servatory and of others. that we shall
never know much Of the inhabitants of
that planet, because the finest telescopes
cannot show the planet more distinctly
than it could be seen by the unaided
eye at distance of some 10000 miles.
Certainly there is no planet in the
heavens, not excepted the giant Jupiter,
in which people are SO much interested
as in. our next door neighbor, the red
Mars.