The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-03-15
Gigantic Searchlight Would Be
Necessary.
HOPE BLASTED BY SCIENCE
Light Bright Enough to Be Distin.
0uished by a Marian Would Have
About 766 TriIIion Candle Power
" Martians Have Big Enough Tele.
scope They Could See Light Waves
From Earth, Is Claim Of Prominent
Scientist.

ANY doting person who plans to
guide weary wanderer from Mars
by placing the poetic candle In the
window had better abandon the idea.
II can't be done. The little Marian
would be lost in the deep and Vastly
void with not one twinkle to guide
his airy footsteps.
Thus another fight of fancy is
blasted by science, for it is estimated
that an earth light just bright enough
to De distinguished by the eye of a
Marian would have to have 766 tril-
lion candle power. And when one
talks in trillions it doesn't mean a
thing.
This figure is given by Or. Clarence
Enrol Ferree, professor of experiment.
tai psychology at Bryn Mawr college,
which is now seeking $2,OOO,OO0 en-
dOwment DR.. Ferree Is the best
known authority on light in its rela-
ton to vision. He reached his con.
clusion by laboratory experiments
which confirm the deductions made
by the searchlight experts of the Sper-
ry GyroscOpe company, who believe
that it is possible to throw a beam of
light visible to Martians.
What the Engineers Find.
Professor Ferree's figures check nm
remarkably with the estimates made
by the searchlight engineers, who
pointed out that it was unusual that
experiments based on actual exper-
fence give the same result as careful
laboratory work under ideal condi.
tions The calculations made by
George b. Grouse, department engi-
neer. and P. r. Bassett, physicist of
the Sperry company, showed that one
candle power is visible at .46 of
mile, while Professor Ferree's esti-
mate, based on the minimum candle
power visible at three meters, shows
candle power to be visible at So of
a mile. The difference is accounted
for by absorption. for which Professor
Ferree may not have made allowance.
The engineers figures were also
predicated on the supposition that the |
Martians have telescopes with light
gathering power Of 5000, which is
much less than the light gathering
power of the large telescopes on
earth. But Professor Ferree, with
the aid of accurate means he has of
light, was able first to de-
termine the minimum amount of light
visible to the eye at three meters and
then carry this out by mathematical
to show the light visible
at Mars when 1t is 100000 miles
away, Its nearest point of approach
to the earth.
Can Work by Massed Searchlishts.
The enormous candle power neces-
sary to produce such beam of light
Is uncomfortable to the mind, but not
impossible of production. 1t would
not be necessary, Mr.. Grouse and Mr..
Bassett believe, to construct one
single reflector. The same result
would be attained by massing search.
lights of tremendous individual candle
,Ower. And the difficulty would not
,e the production of sufficient current
o light them but the great cost Of
1t is not likely that
here are enough searchlights In the
world to produce anywhere near
'nough light to be seen by the naked
ye Of the Martians. 1872
The largest searchlight made By
he Sperry firm produces 1880 00, 600
andle power, but it would take 8O8,.
80 Of these to produce 766 trilion can.
lie power. So unless the Martians
ave some kind Of telescopes, it is not
kelly that they will have the oppor.
unity right away to catch fash
rom the earth.