Blue-grass blade. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 188?-19??, 1908-08-16
BLUE GRASS BLADE
Mars Still Under Discussion
BLUE GRASS BLADE

is one of the facts most difficult to recon
cile with the theory, so difficult indeed
that it has never been done to the salts
faction of the writer Add to this the ret
rograde motion of the outer satellites and
some other physical and mathematical OBJ
stacles and the Nebular Hypothesis will
have a hard hill to climb 1t may be ex-
pected, however, that future discoveries
will remove these seeming difficulties, or
send the whole theory to listen to the
music of the spheres.
Mr. Head next assures us that Mars has
no mountains while those of Venus are
thirty miles high.
Let us examine these two statements.
1t could scarcely be expected that noun
tains equal to those of the Earth, could
exist on a plant so much smaller GER
tain intensity of gravitation would seem
essential to their formation and since the
surface gravity of Mars is but two-fifths
that of the EARTH it is not probable that
mountains more than two miles In height
can ever exist on that planet. Then as to
the thirty mile mountains on Venus, let us
ask our friend on what ground he bases
this assertion. Has he ever seen such
mountains through telescope or has he
the assurance of any competent observer
who has seen them? II so, why should
there be any question about the rotation OF
this planet? Just one such mountain, Wis
ible at the earth; would be permanent
mark by means of which the rotation could
be fixed with entire precision But moth
ing is certainly known of such rotation.
Hence these thirty mile mountains are
delusion. If mountains exist at all, they
are probably smaller than those of the
Earth.
Mars is older than the Earth, If not in
time, at least in geological condition. This
is evident from several facts, among which
are it's rotation, which is forty minutes
longer than ours, its loss OF water which Is
very great and its reddish color which is
probably due to the sun shining on its
bleak, barren and unwatered land.
What cause operates to check the veloc-
ity of rotation? Nothing so far as we
know but the resistance of tides. The
grinding of particles by which Mr.. Head
accounts for the heating and fusion of a
planet could serve only to adjust different
velocities to each other 1t could not
affect the sum total of rotation. Such an
effect could be produced only by an out
side force and the only such force visible
to us is the gravtatiOn of the sun, acting
on the waters to produce tides. The satel-
lites are too small to produce any great
effect and besides, the inner one, which
would be the more influential, both because
of its greater size and it's closed proximity,
performs three and One-fourth revolutions
during one of the planet, hence, whatever
tides it might produce, would tend to &C.
celerate, rather than retard the rotation
of Mars. To the sun alone must be attri-
buted the Marian tides, which, in its early
ages, reduced much more rapid rotation
to its present length. / have not time TO
calculate the effect of the suns gravita-
ton on proportionate amount of Marian
water, but assuming for the moment, that
the greater distance of the sun and the
smaller diameter of the planet on the one