The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1901-09-06
SIGNALS TO MARS.
PROFESSOR OF ASTRONOMY
SAYS 1T CAN'T BE DONE.
Il Lake Superior Was Covered wish
Petroleum and the OIL Set on Fire
It Would Take = Good Telescope to
See the Light

Sir Robert s. Ball, the Cambridge
astronomer, writes to the London Ex-
p,.sss: 1t was the remark Of the great
Sir William Herschel that the re-
semblance of Mars to this earth is one
of the most striking features in the
solar system. The observations OF the
planet which have been made since the
time of this Incompatible observer
have tended to illustrate the truth
which he then laid down. Mars is not
SO large as our earth, of course, but,
like our earth, Mars is surrounded by
an atmosphere. At the poles of Mars
are vast white tracts which become
greatly extended during winter on the
planet. but which shrink again during
the ensuing summer. To deny that
these white tracts on Mars consist of
ice or snow now seems to me sup
position SO fantastic that I think we
need not seriously diccuss it. 1t has
been proved by recent observations
that the large dark objects on Mars
| long believed to be open oceans can
no longer be so described. By the ex-
cellent telescopes now available, these
dark tracts have been shown to be
traversed by marks of nature so per-
manent as to be wholly incompatible
with the supposition that in looking
at the dark regions we are looking at
sheets of liquid. For the demonstration
OF this point we are indebted to the
labors of many astronomers, but we
must specially mention Mr.. Percival
Lowell, who has devoted consummate
skill and assiduity to the study of this
planet. With the help of powerful
telescope at his observatory in Flag
staff, Arizona, Mr.. Lowell has also
largely extended our knowledge of the
canals discovered many years ago by
Schiaparelli Mr.. Lowell has given us
some excellent reasons for his belief
that these so-called canals /do indeed
mark the courses along which water is
conducted from the melting SHOWS at
| the poles of Mars to the more arid
parts of the planet. When, upon GER
tain occasions, which do not recur
very frequently, Mars comes nearest
the earth, the distance Of the planet
from our globe is still about thirty-fve
million miles. Now what can a tele-
scope show at the distance of thirty
five million miles? 1t requires very
good telescope to reduce the apparent
distance of an object to thousandth
part. That is to say, it is very good
| telescope which will show an object
as clearly as We could see 1t with the
unaided eye if it were at thousandth
| part Of its distance, and if we dis
pensed with the assistance of a tele-
| scope. 1t is, therefore, impossible to
| hope for any signalling to Mars un-
| less the signals were on a scale suffi-
| ciently great to be visible to the un-
aided eye even at distance as great as
thirty-five thousand miles. This con-
sideration suffices to prove the utter
| futility Of human endeavor to make
any demonstrations on a sufficiently
| large scale to be perceptible to
the Inhabitants of Mars. The very
largest city that this earth has ever
known would be altogether too small
the planet Mars, even If that being
were endeavoring to see it with tele-
scope as powerful as the greatest and
most perfect instrument in any obser-
vatory on this globe. If the whole ex-
tent Of Lake Superior was covered
with petroleum, and if that petroleum
was set on fire, then 1 think we may
admit that an inhabitant of Mars who
was furnished with telescope as good
as that which Mr.. Percival Lowell
uses at Flagstaff might be able to see
that something had happened But we
must not suppose that the mighty con-
f1agration would appear to the Martian
as very conspicuous object. 1t would
rather be a very small feature, but
still think it would not be beyond
the reach Of a practiced observer in
that planet. On the other hand, If an
area the size Of Lake Superior on Mars
was to be flooded with petroleum and
that petroleum was to be kindled, we
should expect to witness the event
from here not as great and striking.
confiagration. but as a tiny little point
Of just discernible light. The disc of
Mars is not large object, and the
confagration would not extend over
the three-hundredth part of that disc.
1t is sufficient to state these facts to
show that the possibility of signalling
to Mars is entirely beyond the power
Of human resources.