THE PLANET MARS.

Evening Post, Volume XLV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PLANET MARS.

Sir Robert S Ball has written a lengthy article in The King's Own, summarising, in his characteristically popular way, all that is known about the planet Mars. After all that was said about this heavenly neighbour of ours laßt year, it is especially useful to get a statement of this kind. Especially interesting is the paragraph devoted to Professor Schiaparolli's 60-called cauala, the theory having been recently confirmed by M. Perrotiu. With regard to this observer Sir Robert writes: — Although the conditions of observation were not very favourable for the examination of some of the canals, yet some of them were quite unmistakable, and alluding to tho controversy on the subject, he adds that some of them were so easy to recognise that even the most prejudiced observer would bo convinced. At the same observatory special pains have been devoted to the study of an extensive Martin eea, known as the Great Syrtis. It has been instructive to compare together drawings mado at different times, and it has been distinctly found that changes in the most southerly portion of this sea, or rather, perhaps, of the adjoining coasts, can bo discerned. The view which M. Perrotin takes is that mists and clouds, which prevail on Mars in a lesser degree than they do here, are still at times sufficiently copious to obscure our view, and to hide the canals traversing the northern regions, near the Great Syrtis. In fact, many mii stances may be cited of apparent changes in the features of Mars, indicated by the comparison between drawings made at considerable intervals of time In some cases we may probably attribute the phenomena to inundations or floods, when the sea invades low-lying lands. A special instance of a ' lake ' which has exhibited distinct changes of appearance, is given by M. Perrotin in the ' Lake of the Sun.' The aspects of some of the seas, and also of some of the canals, are distinctly different from what had been previously represented by Schiaparelli."