The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-11-22
TWO CROPSADAY
CROW ON MOON
Markings Caused by Vegetation
in Craters, Says Astronomer.
FIELD PATTERNS ARE TRACED

F1ELU IA! IEhNO AMI IhAUED
Professor Pickering Of Harvard criti.
cizes Astronomers for Assuming
Life There Is observation-disclosures
of Life More Easily TraceabIe on
Moon Than on Mars, He Declares
Day on Moon Equal to About Two
Weeks Of Our Time.
The unwarranted assumption that
the moon is dead and that nothing
can live on its surface has caused as
trOnOmerS to fail to study it, accord
Ing to Prof. William H. Pickering of
Harvard, one Of the greatest living
astronomers, who in a report on two
years observation of the moon asserts
that the existence of life is more cas-
lily traceable on the moon than on
Mars
Crops grow on some parts Of the
moon at the rate of two day, the day
on the moon being as long as two Of
our weeks. They are believed to
grow only in the craters, with which
the face Of the moon is extensively
pitted and which are believed to con-
tain water and possibly a supply Of
heat. Professor Pickering has discov-
cred steam issuing from some of the
supposedly dead craters. The assump-
ton has been that, because the moon
had no atmosphere and because it's
temperature was presumably hundreds
of degrees below zero, no life could
exist there.
Doctor Pickering is now in Europe.
His colleague, Prof. S. l. Bailey Of
Harvard, said:
Professor Pickering has not as yet
been able to convince many astron-
Omers that he is right in his discov-
cry of life on the moon. He has made
prolonged study of the subject with
a telescope at Jamaica and is con-
WINGED that the markings which he
finds on the moon are caused by vege-
tation, but some others think the mark
ings are shadows. My own attitude
Is one of doubt
mo scientific man has advanced the
theory that there is intelligent life on
the moon. If there is life, it is be-
lieved to be low form OF course,
no one can say positively that intel
ligent life does not exist there
In his report on this phase Of his
study of the moon, which has just
been published in Popular Astronomy,
a scientific publication issued at North
field, Mimi, Professor Pickering criti-
cizes astronomers in severe terms for
neglecting the study of the moon, be-
cause of an improved hypothesis that it
was 1ifeless. He emphasized the fact
that Mars is 200 times further away
from the earth than the moon is, so
that, other things being equal, 200 times
as much detail can be seen on the
moon as on Mars. Professor Picker
ing is one of the chief living authori-
ties on Mars, where he also believes
that life exists.
When the moon energies from its
two weeks Of darkness and a degree
Of cold probably unknown on earth,
the suns light quickly warns up the
fields in the great moon craters, some
of which are many miles across, and
starts mushroOm-like growth of life
there according to the Pickering the
DRY. This fourishes during the long
moon day. None Of it lasts overnight
that is, over the moon night of two
weeks.
Professor Pickering found canals"
or ''runs'' of vegetation on the moon,
as on Mars, and was able, because of
the nearness of the moon, to trace the
intricate patterns of growing fields, as
he regarded them.
He did this with an inferior tele-
scope at the Harvard observatory at
Jamaica, which location is
Of special advantage in examining the
moon. His instrument, small one
is more than fifty years old. His re-
searches are expected to result in
powerful telescopes to bear
on the moon for the special study of |
living things alleged to be found in
the craters.
"Of the nearly 1000 known bodies
not counting comets and meteor
swarms, comprising our solar SYSTEM |
Professor Pickering said in his report,
there are only three with whose solid |
surfaces we are at all familiar There |
are, of course, the earth, our twin the
moon and the planet Mars.
"On each Of these three vegetable
life exists, but strangely enough while
It's existence is now probably generally |
conceded on Mars, it is quite safe to
say that the vast majority of astrono-
mers would definitely deny it in the
case of the moon. This a. first seems
odd, because the surface changes, by |
which it can only be recognized, are
much more readily seen on the moon
han they are on Mars.
"The explanation is probably two
old AS far as our terrestrial eXpe-
-ience goes, vegetation requires sew
eral days to develop, after the seed is
,own, or the ground is first warmed
)y the spring SUM-"
This occurs on the moon, according
@ Doctor Pickering, but has been over
ocl1ed, because it takes place at
considerable distance from the "ter-
or the boundary line between
light and darkness on the moon