Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-10-27
Star SIeuths Prepare to Solve
Mystery When Planet Is
Nearest in 1924.
MANY THEORIES ADVANCED
Scientific Eyes to Strain at Telescopes
and Wireless to Be Tried to Read
Sky secret-chilean
Venture Derided.

New York.-The secret Of Mars may
be read in 1924 when the red planet
makes it's closest approach to earth,
although astronomers are skeptical of
the theory of Marconi that the Mar
tians are signaling us by wireless,
and take no stock in the 6O-foot whirl-
ing dish of quicksilver which 1t is
promised will magnify the power Of
vision to 25,O00,000 times it's normal
strength.
In 1924 Mars will come within about
35O00,000 miles of the earth. Be
cause Of it's eccentric orbit, compared
to the more nearly circular one of the
earth, Mars approaches that close only
once in fifteen years.
In 1924 observatories will be much
better equipped to study Mars than
they were in 1909, when the planet last
appeared at it's biggest and reddest in
our sky. In 1924 Mars will be the
cynosure of telescopes all over the
earth. The 1OO-inch Hooker telescope
at Mt. Wilson, and the marvellous
instruments and methods for analyZ-
ing light which are in use there, may
definitely solve the question whether
Mars is inhabited.
AS the distance of Mars from the
earth varies from 35,000,000 to 2S4,-
100000 miles, the wireless signals from
that planet, if there are any, will have
a better chance to register in 1924
over the comparatively brief span of
35,OOO,OO0 miles.
Those "SignaIs" From Mars.
For the last 20 years Mars has
been reported frequently to be at
tempting to signal to us by wireless
rays, by flashes of light, and even, &C
cording to some imaginative specu
latists, by writing sign messages OF
planet-wide size over the ATTITUDES by
means Of the Mars canal system. II
has even been suggested that we ac
knowledge receipt by forming words
in vegetation over the blank Of the
Sahara desert.
The Marconi wireless communica
ton theory is more plausible thar
any of the others, because that grea
inventor reports that he has picket
up wireless waves 100 miles long
while the greatest produced on eartl
by artificial means are about tel
miles long. Many ways of explain
ing this have occurred to skeptics, blu
the Marconi signals have more il
them to interest conservative scien
lists than any of the previous types
There was a sensation in 1900 whel
it was reported that signaling fror
Mars had been detected at the Lowel
observatory at Flagstaff, Ariz. Thi
was based on misunderstanding q
telegraph message concerning som
projected lights over the rim of Mar.
Instead of presenting a perfect our
line, Mars showed slight excrescence
of light. These were calculated t
be from II to 80 miles above the SUI
face of the planet.
Similar Projections From Moon.
Similar isolated projections of ligt
had been seen on the moon, but tn
! was easily discovered to be the SUI
light tipping the mountain tops, a
effect visible on earth in mountain
GUS country when the risin! sun gilG
the submits when the lower par
of the mountains and the valleys al
|, Still in darkness.
But Mars has no mountains. a.
cording to general agreement anon
! observers. 1t was believed also to
, almost cloudless. The occasion;
high lights, however, are now agree
to have been clouds which are though
| to occur, though somewhat rarely.
Electric currents which apparent
wander through eternity hit the cart
here and there, causing a mysterio,
J kissing and cracking in wireless a
paratus and sometimes upsetting h
: man electrical contrivances, as ii
great magnetic storm of last Nav d