CHANGES ON MARS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 651, 30 October 1909, Page 5

CHANGES ON MARS.

A AFEACTUEED • ; ,', ; ;..;',.;. .•.;..V."..1C8-CAP,.,-"- ■-,';;-■.,;.:■■'.,;■ (By : Tol<M:rlii)h.-l'rM«' A«eocWlon!-*ti»Mrle»iJ ' j. -.'■• ■ -'•■'■.(Eec..October,29,.9.lo p.m.'),/■'.;■ ".- ; - mi. : '"■.'i '■'■' : '■ .-"■-■"'-- .-.i-ondon, October/29; : ihe Astronomical Socioty reports that recent obsetvattous of Mars show that a gloomy yellow veil enshrouds immense tracts, obliterating the oanal markings., V; ■"<■:. ' .-.' •..;- : .. The southern'polar cap is.'observed to'have been fractured. A.briliiant spot has.been discovered on one of the dusky areas/-Scientific circles, .are much interested iVihe'. obse'rvrP tion. . ■■■ .■,'.■';.'■ ;■■.,.■';.'■•.■.'

• LOWELL'S RECENT^CLAIMS.. '.• Tn f, first indications.of lifo.on Mars were tho so-called canas," first observed some-, twenty years ago by Schiaparolli. Running .with inatho- ; matical .straightness:.across'- the surface of -the : planet and .describing, geometrical, figures oh it, their origin-could, not be explained by- the forces of Nature. ■ But there was equal" difficulty in .the supposition that Mars was inhabited by a race ■' of intelligent, beings'similar to ourselves who had made tho "canals," ai for supposed that there was no atmosphero on Mars, and that tho white patches seen on the poles of the planet, and. reforred to' m to-days cablegram, were■ condensed carbonic acid.'. ■:-.- •■)' ... ...;■•-■' . .-. -.-:

Professor Lowell, however, about-1894, canib tojho conclusion that'tho white patches we're jot carbonic acid, but wero snow or ice, andthat consequently thoro was an atmosphere, for water and prater vapour would hot be'found unless there was. This remained littlo more thana guess;until last year, when.Professor Lowell; claimed to have definitely discovered water japour oh' Mars. 'With : infinite difficulty a photograph of tho spectrum of-Mars was obtained, 1 which .shows the presence of water vapour. This was followed last September by, the statement that Professor Lowell had discovered oxygon iiires in the spectrum; showing thatpxygon, the life-giving pnnoinle, of the air that wo,breathe, is present on the'surface'of Mars. ~■'

It must be, pointed out, however, that in some quarters.the.photographio evidence is not accepted as final. It was suggested, 'for instance, that thow-ater vapour, shown -mightbein our own air. Another writer remarks ""Dr.' G. Johnstone Stoney has reminded us in his recent, pamphlet, 'Telescopic Vision,' that, owing to; diffraction and interference, the tolcscopio image cannot give• us 1 an'absolutely porfect representation of the original; thus in 0 microscopb, when wo press magnifying' power beyond what the aperture will warrant; wo get spurious images.. Some of tho very fino detail drawn.by Lowell, such; as the dark spots,.--or 'oases,'., whore' thb canals :crbss,' or ? 'tli'e' tri-' angular''carets,': where they leave the dusky,' regions for tho 'deserts,' may be of: this spuri-' ous character, and one should always bear in mind tho possibility of optical illusion in disoussing details that are on the very .limit of visibility. ; This writer agrees; that Professor Lowell may claim to hava shown that tho presence or water on Mars is extremely probable. '-; ■•'; „■■.. ';..'.■-.'-■ ..,•.. .: :'•" .•".'-- .■• A large part; of Professor-Lowell's 'olainis is ; the observation of the alleged;effects'; of, changing seasons, tho snow-melting and'tho enlarging' of tho canal channels. I'rom long observation of,tho disk of the planet Lowell is certain that the greater part of Mars is a hugo desert. Tho ruddy colour of tho planet'when seen under a powerful glass is tho identical hue of tho Arizona desert when seen from a great height. The darker spaces which older- astronomers called seas ho finds change their colour with the seasons; henco ho argues they are beds of ancient seaa covered with vegetation, which is the only thing that could change its huo with tho changing seasons..