The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-05
PASSED BEYOND THE STARS
SCHItP iRELLI THE tSTRONO-
.MER DIES IN MILAN.
uis Popular Pane Rests on His Obser>a-
ton of the Canals % Mars Made
Also Great DlscON cries RrgardOE
Comets and Failing star showers.
.Sp,ciai clgs DeIpaieh 10 THI SrS


MILAS. July Prof SchiapIrelli the
former chief astronomer and director
Of the Milan Observatory. who discovered
the canallike markings on the planet
Mars IN 1871, il dead.
Giovanni Virginia Schiaparelh leaped
into the notice Of the general public IN
1871 when he announced his discovery
Of the so-called canals of Mars, venture
IN Astronomical speculation which has
caused more discussion probably than
any other theory Of the heavens since
il ~as finally settled that the earth moves
around the sun and not the sun around
the earth Among astronomers SchiRpa-
relli had already become famous
He was born in 1885. according to one
authority on March 8. according to another
on March ~ Savigliano. town in
Piedmont, was his birthplace lie was
the son Of a teacher. After such school
ing as his native town afforded he went
TO the University Of Berlin. where he
studied under Encke OF oometary fame.
and finally 10 Pulkowa, where w Struve
was his teacher In 1859 he returned
10 Italy and was at once appointed an
assistant in the observatory Of BrerA
at Milan In 1852 he became the director
Of the observatory. and that place he
held until his retirement in 1870
IL was in 1851 that he performed his
first exploit n an explorer 81 the heavens.
This was the discovery Of the planetoid
Hesperia No. 60 Then he established his
reputation by pointing out the coincidence
OF the orbits Of certain comets with the
paths Of the shooting star showers. This
discovery was first communicated in a
series Of letters 90 Father SecChi At Rome
printed later IN volume 5 Of the Meteor
illogical Bulletins Of the Roman College
His observations were confirmed in a
monograph on the falling stars printed
In Florence IN 1897 and in another work
in 1871 His next wo rk was a series of
observations on the dou bile stars lnyolv-
ing elaborate calculations aS 20 their
distances apart This work was described
a. being OF path finding Importance To
astronomical science
Then came his observations upon Mars.
involving his theory of the habtation q.
the planet by sentient beings akin to man
kind When he published his maps and
descriptions Of the markings he had OBJ
served about half the astronomers IN the
world came OFT IN fatfoo,ed opposition
Some 81 them had been looking az Mars
all their lives and had seem no such mark
,ngs. others had seen the markings but
considered them mere geological phe-
uomena or due TO cloud forms or mere
tricks Of light optical Illusions Others.
however. enthusiast iCally took up the
Italian : IDEAS and down To this day the
conception that Mars - inhabited remains
cardinal proposition OF imaginative
astronomy
Al anv rate the discussion l.-d 10 q
Worldwide study of the red planet which
assIredly has established IN. existence
Il the markings a. described by :, HAP
rn.i also the presence uf an atmosphere
end - water uTon the planet, with a fair
probability u vegetation While II C.nnut
b" said that anything conclusive - -
the presence II animal life, not @ ~.lv
human Intelligence, has been pr duc.a,
N the whole the o'sSaryat ions mGa"
during the rDCeL. proximity - Nl.~> q
the =. r'h have tended to enhance SCh,s-
plrelh'- fame
Besides Mar. S'rIapC rell deN tod cur-
siderable attention 20 he planet Mercury
10" iuupuEt,-i "a 1919 q 81 IN" had sen
eide 10 ~ ~" I,"riui q - evolution
on It's axis - - days O. period exactly
'Orre@pondinR with - revolution around
the sun 50 nat like tn" moon - rsGaru,
the earth the planet Plwavs present,
a." sam" portion 81 Iis surface o. It'
prlm. ~
Schlars relli was the author ~ = number
- n, ppriant h,,"ks Residss rho ones 90.
,ri"i- and falling stars alr".'r met
toned h." published ~ 1873 IT." Pr.
cITS,r~ ~ tol-rurcu- In AufIIV'y
and ~ Is,S and 1883 -ObSery. IONS on
the Movement ofRot tion and ia" Iopog
raphv ~ The Planet Mar