Evening star., 1920-01-30
VENUS, NOT MARS,
MAY Be SIGNALING
DR.. Abbott Compares Tenn
perature Conditions on
Two Planets.

Ladies first" is the theory of DR..
c. G. Abbott. director of the astro-
physical observatory, one of the
branches of the Smithsonian Institu-
tion, of which he is also assistant sec
retary. in discussing the alleged In
terplanetary wireless messages being
received by Mother Earth, in other
words, this scientist says that if any
other sphere is flirting with us 1t IS
probably Venus and not Mars. as sug-
gested by William Marconi.
DR.. Abbott makes no claim that
these mysterious disturbances are
from another member of the solar
system, but says if they are that con-
ditions on Mars obtain which preclude
the existence of any form of animal
life and that the planet named for
the god of war is thereby eliminated.
therefore. the only sphere named for
any member of the more converse
tional sex.
Mars Twice az Cold as Earth.
I'm the first place, says DR.. Abbott,
"on account of the greater distance.
nearly two and one-half times. less
radiation from the sun reaches Mars
than reaches the earth. 1t is proba-
bly, nearly 100 per cent colder on the
average on that distant planet than
on the earth. knowing what low
| temperatures occur on this earth in
| the course of the winter season, it
Will readily be realized what 100 de-
| Srees colder would mean. In the sec
| Ond place. even if any form of life
could withstand that degree of cold,
| it is definitely known bv the investi-
cations of Director Campbell of Lick
observatory that there is practically
no water-vapor in the atmosphere q
surrounding Mars. which fact crosses g
out the possibility of that planet 9
supporting any vegetation or other
forms of food for living creatures.
The polar caps which are seen on
Mars may be either hoar frost from
/ the minute traces of water-vapor in
the Martian atmosphere or, what is
quite as possible. frozen carbonic
acid gas. The so-caIled canals of
Mars are non-eXiStent except as in
definite markings. according to such
and others who have observed with
great telescope under we'll nigh perfect
! conditions.
But. 1t is objected. there may be
other strange forms of beings which
| need no water or vegetation or heat.
This also is reduced to impossibility
by the fact that all living things are
made up largely of different COM
pounds of carbon. While the stellar
spectrum shows that there is carbon
/ on all heavenly bodies, the chemical
combinations of this element such as
| are required for life mostly require
| temperatures above freezing to pre-
vent rigidity: So the extremely low
newar nsmperhtaress hiahsr +hon on MarsEprobably
allow the carbon compounds to ex-
ist in condition suitable for origi-
mating life.
The planet Venus. on the other
hand. shows every condition necessary
for maintaining life 1t is nearly the
same size as the earth and is even
nearer the sun than the earth is This
| would apparently make the climate
| considerably hotter on Venus except
for the fact that the atmosphere sur
| rounding Venus is continually cloudy
This universal cloudiness. by reflect
ing the radiation fromlthe sun. re-
| duces the temperature to about the
! same range as that experienced here
on the earth. This cloudiness also
shows a sufficient amount of water
vapor to support vegetation and high
er forms of life on the planet Venus
| AS regards the possibility of receiv-
| ing wireless messages from another
planet, Venus at it's nearest approac ch
to the earth IS 25.009,000 miles away
whereas Mars is at least $4,000. .0e0.
From these considerations, it may
| be concluded that II any planet Is
trying to signal our earth. it is Venus
| and not Mars. 1t can be definitely
proved that Mars is unsuited for
maintaining any conceivable form OF
vailing on Venus there is every reason
| to believe that that planet may be popu-
! lated by beings similar to ourselves"
Views Of Other Scientists.
| ROME. Thursday, January 29.-In-
| terplanetary communication as sug-
gested by mysterious waves recently
| caught by wireless plants through
| out the world is not a subject for
| ridicule. says Prof. Domenico Argen-
tiere. the widely known scientist. He
! asserts it is possible to send messages
from the earth to other members of
the suns family because ether will
| convey electric waves as readily as
| air.
FLORENCE. Thursday January 20.
Father Alfani, director of the
! Ximenian observatory in this city
said today that to spread rumors rela-
tive to interchange of messages be-
tween planets was absolutely scan
| dalous."
NEW YORK. January 30.-Wireless
communication with Mars is mot at
/ all improbable" DR.. Charles p. Stein
metz. inventor. and leading author
| ity on electric waves and power, de-
| clared in a statement here. He said
/ that this could probably be done by
| the consolidation of all the electric
power in the country into one great
sending station at the cost of about
| 81, ,000. 900, 900.