Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-27
opposition of Respondent Satellite,
in Nearest Approach to Sister
Sphere, Provides Favorable
Opportunities for OBJ
servations.

| RespIendent in the southeastern SKY
| these summer evenings, Mars makes hne
spectacle. and the astronomical specialists
who are studying the planet at the va
rlous observatories expect TO get Some
remarkable photographs of Its curlousiy
marked surface.
At present under the telescope Mars
reveals most interesting contrasts to the
observer For the most part it owes It's
fiery tint to the predominance Of reddish.
ocher tinted masses that cover hve-eighths
of its surface and which are believed to
be great stretches of desert, not unlike
those on the earth, both in size and hue.
But in addition to these ocher areas there
are the white polar caps, supposedly Ice
masses and blue green or dark areas fan
cifully dubbed seas, which spot the surface
in a curious manner and are connected by
the famous canals which run all over the
surface Ike straight lines laid down by
man, and which, like the sO-called seas.
are believed to be evidence Of vegetation
on Mars II not of the actual existence Of
water masses in these particular places
Favorable Conditions for Observers.
This year everything is favorable to the
observers, since while Mars at its most
distant point at oppostions can be 60,000. 0t0
| miles away from u.s. this time 1t Is within
IS 600 900 miles of the earth, and for sew
| eral weeks will be the most respondent
| object in the southern heavens.
Although at present almost as near the
earth as 1t ever be, the position Of
Mars so far south of the equator Is great
| disadvantage to telescope observation from
northern ATTITUDES. South of the equator,
however, the planet will reach high altt-
| tude in the sky and Prof. Percival Lowell
| Of the famous Flagstaff observatory in
| Arizona has temporarily established a Sc
| lect staff of trained observers in the Andes,
tot Nd rhera
| Mars will cross the meridian almost in the
zenith.
At Flagstaff Mr.. Lowell has also made
| special preparations to study the planet
during the opposition, and the splendidly
equipped western ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
larly the Lick observatory on Mount Ham
ilton and the new observatory on Mount
Wilson. Cal.-as well as certain foreign OBJ
servatories. will all be busy for the next
few weeks studying the permanent physical
markings on the planet which are now
believed to be evidences of the existence of
sentient intelligent beings on at least one
other body of the solar system besides the
earth.
Result Of Observations.
So far as the Flagstaff wo-k goes. the
director has already reported on the OBJ
servations on Mars as follows:
The opposition has been productive OF in
creased knowledge of the planets constitu-
ton by the revelation OF detail hitherto
unseen This. while extending our ac-
quaintance with the planet, has been COM
pletely corroborative of what had previous-
ly been learned there.
THE southern polar cap is now in process
of melting and the northern one OF max
ing. Although about OF the same size at
the present moment the aspect Of the two
10 quite different. In this connection the
detection of difference in their color is
significant While the south polar cap
is white. with faint yellowsh tinge, the
north polar cap is distinctly blush. This
difference in hue 10 what freshly fallen
snow on new-made ice would present as
compared with that which had been long
subjected TO weathering and dust. The OBJ
seryaton Is therefore conhrmatory of what
has again and again been stated OF the sub
stance composing them.
New Canals Discovered.
The canals proper to this season OF the