The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-25
If Mars Is Inhabited
His Travels in 1924
May Reveal 1t to Us

David Todd of Amherst, a. we'll
known astronomer. Of using great
u abandoned minc shaft I'm chile Tor
mnkinr of a colossal telescope, has
hccn tho subject OF no little scien-
tfic dlacusaiOp. This shaft, when
ts said TO have a G0-foot diameter,
is located near the equator IL is'
therefore. In the plano on which the
earth and all the other planets whirl
round the sun, Tn" smart telescope
has the disad vantage that II could
never hc shifted, aud could only be
used Tor that part Of the heavens
which passes over n. But II IN call
culnted that Mars wil pasa directly
over IL whom II becomes "A big, red
disk In 1924.
Many AsirOnmcrs Scott
Many astronomers have Rcoftod at
the theory of such "a colossal telc-
sropc. alleging that II the mcChani-
cal difficulties could be overcome
the enormous magnification sought
would bc useless, because the OBJ
server would see nothing but blur.
on a. small scale, Or. Robert VIII
lams OF John-Jopkins had huilt
practical concave mirror telescope
on Long Island by rotating n BASIN
of mercury until the liquid metal
shaped itself into the proper con-
cavity. There are limits to Its use,
however which will be exceeded
mnuy times. according to astrono-
mcrs, II the attempt IL made To build
the abandoned mine telescope.
The greatest telescope now In use
sometimes achieve n power OF 5000
times as great as that of the un-
aided vision. This II only when the
state OF the atmosphere Is at its
best. ordinarily Astronomers have
/ to be content with much less, some
! times with magnificeuon OF zoo
| or 400,
The atmosphere fixes an outside
limit OF mognification," said ilr.
Frank Schleslngcr, director OF the
Yale observatory, Limltiess masnl-
fying powers could not be used, Tel
eiscopes viii probably be made larger
than at present for use on mountain
tops and especially favorable loca-
tlonR, but the tendency Is to lose
In distinctness as magnifying power
Ia Increased. Eventually the OBJ
! jcct gazed on becomes blur, as IL
! seen through great haze, only
through great Instruments Ike that
nj Mount Wilson and then only un-
der most favorable conditions. hayo
OBJ Jcots magnificd as much as 5000
times been seen with an unblurred
vision.
B,nrs Caused by Atmosphere.
''rho cause of the blurring Is at
the Atmosphere NHl'H hlGa9e NNhtH
Innd distorls light rays TO a greater or
less extent The image OF the stars
or moon or other objects are not de-
livcrpd In the original package, M 10
were, after they have passed through
the atmosphere. The degree ot dis
tortion varies, but Is always present
to some extent.
"Oiher things being equal, the tei-
escope at the greater elevation sur
%. i..ue fhg nlatnFtlnn of the
atmosphere.
hut this proposal Ia 60 go TO the
bottom OF a shaft and add the at
mosphere In the shaft TO that al
ready above IT, IL So not likely that
under such circumstances magni-
Tying power could be achieved TO
enual many teleAconeE already in
/ existence. II Is probable that me-
, chanlcai difficulties would prevent
the construction Of the whirling-
mercury telescope at all.
: DR. SChlesingcr said that n dry
{ climate was not necessarily the best
| for a telescope and that local con-
\ ditions counted for more than gem
= eral climatic conditions. The blur
I ring effect of the atmosphere was
:. not duo TO the moisture In the at
. moaphore or to the wind but To tho
d presence OF layers Of atmosphere
d OF different consistency, which re-
y fracted IT, Each new layer had an
e effect of a small scale like the re-
It fraction or bending OF light which
was seen when an object under
If water WAS observed at an angle. Ihe
~ ideal stradlnCss of atmosphere Tor
Il teIegcopic purposes was achieved
% when there was q minimum OF an
IT rupt changes ia the density OF AR
.- layers. ~ -.
Il THE mine telescope, IL II met the
II sanguine expectations OF lts proJeC1
e tors, would magnity %o'VuV'VVV
" times. which would bring Mars op-
IA ficalIy within II mile and "A half or
n tbo Garth. At first thought THIS
n would scom TO give the astronomer
z "A .lght of Mars equivalent to that
u which an air pilot obtains OF the
= carth ns he flies a mile ana a halt
Iabovp A. At that height an airman
could see cities, towns and tndiYid-
% ual buildings farms, orchards and
{ Il thousand marks OF the activity
A of man. Under the same adVon-
Z tnRes an astronomer would soon
B know all about Mars, where the crea-
tions of intelligent being are be-
! lioved to exist on a much grander
! scale than on earth.
10 But here a difficulty arises. The
% nirman IN unconscious of the roata-
a tion OF the earth, because gravity
. pulls the earth and air and the air
d plane with n uniform motion. Or
y the other hand, II Mars were brought
: within mile and a half OF the
:. earth It would be whirling 50 madll
'e that the features Of the landscape
IT would be lost to the eye, as are
20 markings on the propellers OF au
le a!rplane revolving at fun speed,
IL magnification OF 25,O0o.OOO
2 ttr,pa ar ANYTHING ike IL could be ac-
ly compIished the observer could only
le see a small patch OF Mars. Mars
ne rotatas it's l2.0OO-mile circumter-
ce ence once in little more than "a
ne hours, so that at It's equator 1t u
of making good speeG OF about ~
e. miles a minute, OF about fiv0 times
81 the speed Of "A racing car, II me oD'
il servers were content with seeing
or | 40 ts miles OFF the portion vislblC
- W. nsrfNIitn Oh PAlE THREH.