In the following chapter are presented abstracts from memoirs,
communications, etc., of a few among the many astronomers and observers
who have recognized the markings on the planet, and, in many cases,
have made drawings of them. Before presenting these few brief records,
I have compiled, from Camille Flammarion's great work on Mars, the
names of those astronomers whose drawings he reproduces in this
monograph, for such it is. A brief examination of Flammarion's volume
will give one an idea of the extent and variety of work which has
already been accomplished in interpreting the surface features of
Mars, and the number of astronomers who have made contributions to the
subject.
Flammarion divides these observations into three periods; the first,
beginning with the rude drawing of Fontana, in 1636, followed by
Huyghens, in 1659, Cassini, in 1666, and many others up to Harding,
in 1824. In this period the drawings were rude, though a number of
the more conspicuous features were established, and above all, the
existence of what was interpreted as snow in the white polar caps.
Astronomically many points were determined, such as an approximation
of the period of revolution, the distance of Mars from the Sun, the
diameter of the planet, its mass, the inclination of its axis, the
eccentricity of its orbit, its period of rotation, etc.
The second period begins with the remarkable work of Beer and Mäedler,
in 1830 and subsequent years. To them belongs the honor of being the
first astronomers to make a chart of the planet. An advance standard
was set for future studies, and the work which followed revealed
details in the surface markings never before suspected. The second
period, from 1830 to 1877, includes the observations and drawings of
Beer and Mäedler, 1830; Sir John Herschel, 1830; Galle, 1837; Warren
de la Rue, 1856; Webb, 1856; Secchi, 1858; Liais, 1860; Schmidt,
1862; Lockyer, 1862; Phillips, 1862; Lassell, 1862; Knott, 1862;
Kaiser, 1862; Dawes, 1864; Franzenne, 1864; Williams, 1867; Proctor,
1867; Lahardeley, 1871; Burton, 1871; Wilson, 1871; Gledhill, 1871;
Flammarion, 1873; Terby, 1873; Green, 1873; Trouvelot, 1873; Lohse,
1873; Holden, 1875.
The third period extends from 1877 to 1892, when Flammarion published
his book. The following drawings are given: Flammarion, 1877-88; Paul
and Prosper Henry, 1877; Neisten, 1877-79-81-88; Terby, 1877-79-88;
Van Ertborn, 1877; Cruls, 1877; Dreyer, 1877-79; Lohse, 1877-79-83-84;
Green, 1877; Schiaparelli, 1877-79; Maunder, 1879; Konkoly, 1879;
Boeddicker, 1881-84; Burton, 1882; Trouvelot, 1884; Knoble, 1884;
Denning, 1886; Perrotin and Thollon, 1886; Proctor, 1888; Perrotin,
1888; Holden and Keeler, 1888; Wislicenus, 1888-90; W. H. Pickering,
1890; Williams, 1890; Giovannozzi, 1890; Guillaume, 1890.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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