Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-05-27
SIGNALING TO MARS.
Flammarion Considers Picker
ing's Plan Feasible.
APPROVES OF GIANT MIRRORS

French Astronomer, However, Sug-
eests Use of Electric Light Refiectors
at Night-Says Martians May Have
Tried to Speak to Earth's Inhabitants
Ages Ago.
Professor w. II. Pickering's plan of
signaling Mars by series of gigantic
mirrors was submitted to NJ. Camille
Flammarion. The proposition has the
full approval Of the eminent French
astronomer, who said:
THE project certainly is quite feast
bic. Signaling with light redectors, of
course. is the only practical method of
attempting to communicate with other
worlds, and Professor Pickering has
very wisely suggested July as the best
time for making the experiment. be-
cause, although Mars will be nearest
to the earth in September, the two
planets at that epoch are in opposition
so obviously that it would be impossl-
bic to reflect the suns rays from the
latter to the former.
"In July. however, while only 10000.
600 lilometers, roughly, will separate
the two worlds. they will he so placed
that If lines were drawn from one to
the other and from each to the sun
they would form a triangle and sig
mailing would become theoretically n
very simple affair.
Naturally the practical details Of
the scheme present difficulties of exc
cution, but none should he insurmount-
able, especially If the $10,000,000 pro-
posed by Professor Pickering be placed
at his disposal This is not the first
time the plan of communicating with
Mars by means of mirrors has been
evolved Forty years ago NJ. Charles
Gros. n friend of mine, made the sug-
gestion, which aroused great deal of
discussion in scientific circles
"Other savants from time to time
have studied the possibilities Of such a
scheme. but personally l think still
better way of putting a system OF
mighty reflectors in practice would be
by electric light reflectors at night, as
the luminous projections thus thrown
from the dark surface of the earth
would be seen much more easily than
a reflected light intense enough in it
self hut neutralized to a certain extent
by the bright surface of the sunlit
earth.
in either case the signals could GER
tainly he seen by the Martians, pro
vided they possess instruments and
other means of perception equivalent
to our telescopes. The experiment
might be made in any part of the
world. Supposing the signals were
seen and answered, the rest would be
easy.
First primitive calls exchanged
would be just the interplanetary tele-
graphic Are you thereT Once commu.
nication is established the invention
Of a code Of thought transmission and
ineligible for both worlds would he a
comparatively easy matter
The fact IS there is no doubt that
the Martians, If they exist, have al
ready attempted 20 get into communi-
cation with our planet. 1t must not be
forgotten that the telescope was un-
known 800 years ago, and only within
the last hundred years have astrono.
mers studied Mars seriously. so it may
be that, unperceived by the inhabit-
ants of the earth, Mars signaled to us
thousands of years ago and, obtaining
no response. abandoned the efforts,
concluding that our planet was unin.
habited
THE luminous phenomena observed
recently on the surface OF Mars were
not signals; they are satisfactorily ex-
planned by natural causes.
Il should add that the signaling sug-
gested by Professor Pickering need not
be discontinued even If no immediate
results be obtained. But a period of
fifteen years must elapse before Mars
comes so near the earth as in Septem-
Der 1t will come near enough every
two years for light reaectors covering
an area of quarter of mile to be
visible to the sister planet" 49, Paris
Cor. New York Herald.