The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-19
WANTS DRAWINGS
MADE OF PLANET
DURING JUNE
Astronomers of South
Asked to Study
Mars.
SUNDAY. February 10. 1879.


Amateur and professional astrcn-
omers In the southern hemisphere ar.
no" being urged by Prof. w II
PICKERING well-known MartIan OBJ
server. to make a series OF drawing,
OF the planet Mars at its coming ,n-
partition In June. Mars will be nesr.-
TO the earth in June than Il hs, b..,
at any tim" since 1908. though NO,
as close as It will be In 1925 IN.
year OF its nearest approach Nb,cb
occurs once In every fifteen or seven
teen years: At the coming Opposition
~ June; however, the planet is m
southern part Of its orbit and 90
more faVorably situated for obser-
walton In the southern heriSnhe..
'han IN northern ATTITUDES.
The planet can be observed n 81.
pest advantage between May 10 ana
July 20 or for about a month MI
ing It's date OF opposition on Juns
10. Its nearest approach % ,bo 80
Tor thls apparition will occur on Inn.
is at which time II will be- ar,
4Z,OOo,Ooo miles away. II will he
necessary to make only six drawing
OF the planet between the dates n,en-
uoned requiring only one hour esrb
i'rof Pickering hopes that profes-
slonai astronomers at the large oh
servatories in South Africa. South
America and Australia will he Willing
TO devote this much time to a study
OF the planet. Detailed Information
regarding the dates and hours Tor
making tn" drawings are given in the
report OF Mars. No. Is. and all 70
suits arc TO he forwa rded for tho re-
nort n Associated Observers to Prof
W. II. Pickering at MandeviHe.
Jamaica
The canals Of Mars are visible IN
greatest numbers and are mos,
conspicuous Immediately following
the date Of the planets summer
solstice which occurred the last ~
December. 1921 TLey will not hc
particularly noticeable in June ana
attention will be given prinrira '-v
TO the shape and color Of ,hc So
called seas" Of Mars which s~e
probably stretches Of Vegetation
rather than budies ~ water ], Is
expected that tho green ~ul"r 81
the southern Marian seas" will he
very noticeable this wear iu ,.,1-
trast to their earlier grcyish INT
Prof. Pickering has recently bon
making some interesting ubSsr,a-
tions Of the appearance II Lakes.
seas and stretches Of vegetation on
:he surface Of our earth IS viewed
from aeroplancs at cousidrra BILE
elevations with the hope that ~nrne
information may be obtained that
will be shed light on the cau. 81
tho various color changes that f-Nr
place on Mars. Aviation may thus
aid astronomers.
II has been found that certain
forms Of vegetation arpoar nlsr'5
4 or grey when viewed from hiCn a.
! titudes and that fresh waIr~ 'al,cs
/ appear decidedly black under CO.
! tain conditions. salt water. "r Tn.
! other hand. is extremely blue in
| tropical regions. hut in high lat
tudes is dark ErcNish- = Hcea.
! There are many exceptions to rhcs
1 ruIes depending upon the depth -
] the water and the nature 81 tn,
( bottom upon which II rests
ON the moon as we'll A. on Ma
/ there are many varied shaGrs auI
. tints Of color to be seen; E-eeus
and blues. browns. yellows and red
I browns. as well a. blacks.
whites and greys. = study "f tho
} color effects produced by our uwu
vegetation and vast seas when
viewed from great elevations may
aid in an Interpretation II IN"
/ spIatches OF color that arc easily
Z observable on Mars and the moon.
Ply Isabel NJ. Lewis. Of Naval
/ Observatory.