The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-01-26
FLASHES FROM A PLANET
SIGNALS FROM MARS SAID TO BE
RECORDED.
Mr.. Bishop Believes They We're Purely
Imaginary and Gives His Reasons
Resembled Telegraphic Flashes.

Recently the San Francisco Bulletin
published statement that IN The Fort
nightly Review of November last the
eminent Sir Francis Gallon reported
flash signals from the planet Mars to
have been actually observed and re-
corded at a leading European obscrt-
atory. The signals corresponded to
dots, dashes and lines, resembling the
telegraphic flashes thrown by hello
graphic mirrors used in extended tri-
angulations.
On referring to Cations article it is
seen that he is merely discussing Il
possible method of exchanging signals
with Mars. The signals described
were not actual, but purely imaginary.
Indeed careful perusal of the Bulle-
tin article shows the same, although
a superficial reading easily miseads
one to understand the signals to have
been actually seen.
little arithme tical calculation
about the practicability of such fash
ing may be interesting to some minds.
| believe that | am correct in stating
that in California, the suns rays
flashed by mirrors one foot in dia-
meter, were clearly perceived through
good field glasses, at distance of $50
miles between mountain tops, and in
telligible signals were freely ex-
changed. Now it follows that with tel
Escapes of 100 times the power, such
as the Lick telescope, such flashes
could be discerned at ten times the
distance of 1900 miles-the light vaiy-
ing inversely as the square of the dis
lance.
Mars, when nearest to the earth, is
thirty millions of miles distant, or
twenty thousand times the above
named distance. Therefore the miro"
surface required to be visible WOULD be
10000 times the diameter of those used
in flashing between the California
mountains. That is, there must be
nearly sixteen square miles surface of
mirrors employed.
1t is needless to say that the crea-
ton and handling of such a battery of
mirrors is UNNECESSARILY beyond the
resources of Terrestrial ability. What
the engineering capacity of the Mar
tians might accomplish, it is impos-
sible to say. Their supposed canals
appear to indicate development of
such capacity UNNECESSARILY beyond
anything yet imagined on the planet
we inhabit. But even supposing they
could signal to us, our responding
would be hopeless.
1t is also to be remembered that
while Mars, when nearest, can reflect
the suns rays to the earth, the latter
planet at that very time is nearly in
visible to Mars, because apparently
close to the sun and because the dark
side of the earth is then turned toward
Mars. 1t would be impossible there
fore, to reflect solar rays to Mars by
mirrors on the earth, except when the
earth was seen from the other planet
in part of her orbit, when they were
at least sixty millions of miles apart
Artificial light would be out of the
question for the purpose, being SC
feeble compared with sunlight, and
being incomparabiy more costly. 1t is
evident that signalling from planet &c
planet does not come within the realm
of the practical.
Perhaps some of your readers may
find entertainment in these sugges
tions.
s. Z. BISHOP.