| Show I AMERICA IS AHEAD Progress Made in the Observation of the Planet Mars AS SEEN BY A PATHS ASTRONOMER The Beautiful Hanet Shlnine Klrlitly antiS anti-S Brilliantly Above Our HeadsOb servations by Scientists Special to THE HEHAIJ > Examiner Dispatch PAUIS Aug 8 To the editor of the New York HcraW It is impossible not to notice that while here the papers are occupied oc-cupied with unimportant political controversies contro-versies crimes balls theatres fashions and other futilities the American papers devote the best part of their space to tho triumphal march of the first of sciences in these last weeks especially of the beauti ful planet Mar which shines nightly and brilliantly above our heads is the subject of extremely interesting articles As this neighboring world has not for a moment been lost sight of by the Juvissy observatory observa-tory since it came within range I propose to address soon a general article based on the results of our observations in which we have had the good fortune to be assisted by collaborateurs as zealous as they are skilleb Guiot Guenisset Schmoll and Mabiere loday 1 will simply touch upon the groat aud important observations made through the grand equatorial of the Mount Hamilton observatory the most powerful telescope in the world According to these observations the Martial canals have been recognized and confirmed but the illustrious illus-trious director of Lick observatory adds The latest observations have disproved Sciaparellis theory that the canals in Mars are double it follows that the double canals have not been seen The case is the samo hero at the Juvissy observatory A certain number of canals were observed out all ware simple I will mention as example the Nasmyth Pass the Indus Ganges Gigas Iris Bordon the Cituaux canal and Pyriphligotoc which is seen to have a different course The observations were the more difficult as the planet has groat Austral latitude and is consequently but little above our horizon and thus scarcely emerges from the mundane mists even at its meriden passage but it is nearest near-est the point in its course to the earth and is really a magnificent spectacle The point to which I wish to draw Professor Holdens attention is that not having seen the double canals 1 do not contradict Sohiapa19Us observations Why Because Be-cause they are ONLY BEEN DOUBLE IN onE sPRING and autumn of Mais A little after the spring equinox and a little before the autumn au-tumn equinox the germinations disappear in the summer and in the winter Now the inhabitants of the south hemisphere of Mars are in midsummer and those of the north hemisphere in midwinter The spring equinox of the south hemisphere and autumn equinox of the north hemisphere hemi-sphere occurred on March 20 last The summer solstice of the south hemisphere hemi-sphere and the winter solstice of the north hemisphere will occur Oct 13 next Wo cannot therefore observe the geminations during the present observation of Mars It is well known that on this neighboring planet the seasons are TWICE AS LONG AS WITH US lasting nearly six months instead of three The present opposition of Mars coming nine weeks oefore the summer solstice of the south hemisphere and as in 1S7T the canals appear simple and Schiaparelli who discovered them was careful to warn astronomers what could happen this year Here is what he wrote in March lbt t9 It will not be long before these conjectures are verified as the opportunity will present pre-sent itself in 1S92 The opposition in that year will take place under almost the same conditions aa that of 1S77 and the total absence ab-sence of gemination must be expected I is evident that our knowledge of Mas is becoming very precise and doubtless we shall soon know more of that planets meterology than that of the earth CAMILLE FLAMMARION |
