El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-28

-+-e-a A.~%taAa
~ URING the month OF November,
the ring girdIed planet Saturn.
with its stately retinue Of moons,
viii occupy a conspicuous position in
the evening sky. Examined with an
opera glass, a slight extension can be
seen or each side OF its disk. These
are the rings which appear TO stiu bet
ter advantage if observed with a good
two inch OF three inch telescope. The
division in the ring can be seen in a
two inch aperture. but the dark ring
requires a four inch and favorable
weather conditions.
The five larger satellites can be seen
distinctly on a clear night with a three
and one-haIf inch aperture. Titan, the
largest has a diameter OF 1920 miles,
according to the measurements Of Prof
Barnard. thus exceeding our own moon
in size. At present, Titan must be
looked for at some distance from Saturn
and its position with regard to the
planet on any date can be ascertained
by consulting the Nautical Almanac.
Seen with four inch telescope, the
planet presents the appearance Of a
beautiful miniature, showing sharp,
clear outline against the sky. How
ever to see Saturn In All its surprising I
loneliness, one must obtain a glimpse of
1t in the five foot reflector Of the Mount
Wilson Solar observatory, California
He must be an unima Einative man who l
can see Saturn Tor the first time in
such telescope, without a feeling of
awe and amazement AS my father I
wrote In the second edition Of Other I
worlds Than Ours. 81 can well re-
member the sensations with which, E
some years ago llS63), I saw the ringed I
planet for the first time. I look on
that view as my introduction to the I
most fascinating of all the sciences"
Where Mars Is Center Of Interest.
In 1894, DR.. Percival Lowell erected I
at Flagstaff Ariz., an ObservatOr con- !
tanning "a inch telescope for the eX-
press purpose Of observing the planets I
and notably Mars. Far removed from I
the busy haunts Of men. in silent com
muue with that distant world. he seeks /
by means of careful Investigation the
solution Of its many problems
With regard TO Mars being an inhab-
tied world ne argues, that organic life
needs water for its existence. The sup
ply being scant on Mars would seem TO
indicate the old age Of the planet If
life Of any kind exists there, il must
be dependent upon the melting of the
polar SHOWS during the sDringtfme /
Consequently, it seems reasonable to in
fer that the Inhabitants Off any, have /
been forced TO utilize every drOn of
water on the surface Of the planet. The .
canal system is the result Dr. Lowell Z
being in favor Of the theory, that the
Martians dug the canals so that the
water might be conveyed from the melt
ing polar caps to the equatorial regions.
The wonderful straightness of the ca
nails suggest the idea of an artificia1Iv
constructed, irriSating system In fact.
according to Dr. Lowell, what we see
hints at the existence Of beings who
are in advance Of not behind US, ia the
journey Of life"
Are Really Canals.
Photographs Of Mars, secured at the
Lowell observatory in 1905, 1909 and
again quite recently, prove the reality
of the lines called canals, despite adj
verse criticism concerning them and
their observers DR.. Lowell has been at /
Flagstaff for the last two or three
keeping Mars under close OBJ
servatiOn, and one can wei imagine his
satisfaction at the rediscOvery on An
gust 18th Of the two new canals which
were photographed at the Lowell OBJ
servatOry in 1903. Since then other well
known canals have come into view, for
Ii is sprtngtime on Mars, and vegeta- }