ARE THE PLANETS INHABITED?

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 836, 8 January 1883, Page 2

ARE THE PLANETS INHABITED?

A curious discovery has recently been made by Sen. Schiaparell, Dirfc tor of the Royal Observatory at Hi(an,

J ; which may well' 1 start anew the old ‘-question,.“ 'Are, the planets inhabited ?” ! This Italian astronomer has long been '"knowmas a . most constant watcher of .'.theplanet Mars. In 1877-78 he detected a number of dusky bands which ■ traverse what appears to be a region of dry land, comprising a wide equatorial belt around that planet, and separating ' its northern and southern oceans. The . next year, when the planet, once .more ; -came to « position favorable for observation, he again identified the same appearances. But his startling discoveries were made during the months of January and February last, when under peculiar and favorable conditions ..noticed that these lines,or “canals,”as ■ .they are now called* began to become ' duplicated, as though the inhabitans of that ruddy planet had suddenly become possessed with a mania for internal :j improvement in the way of new and . duplicate water-ways. Several of these . -new ..canals seemed to unfold themt 'selves immediately under the observer’s - eye.-as he watched them from night to night. Pending a more elaborate and detailed memoir of this remarkable discovery, the professor has published a short paper upon this interesting subject, which he recently read before the Academia de Sincei. A discussion ■' which recently took place in the ’ " British Astronomical Society, as published in Nature , substantiates strongly "by independent evidence the existence of these peculiar appearances upon Our ■ neighbor planet. It was suggested that ■ gome differences of opinion might be entertained in regard to them, but not as to the fact of their existence. It is festated that the atmosphere of Mars was i. peculiarly favorable for observations Awhile they were in progress. The stateSment is also made that some other re- . 'markable changes have been noted, -particularly a progressive enlargement . of the “ Kaiser Sea,” and the brightening of certain supposed large islands towards the northern and southern “ poles of the planet. Much interest is ■ attached to these remarkable dis- ~ coyeries, and expectations are indulged ..in.of discoveries of still , further inportf ante, not -only from the extraordinary 9-tklent and diligence of the distinguished at Milan, with his present iny stniments, but more especially by aid 1 ;©f.the much larger telescope, with which rumor says that observatory is soon to , be provided.