New Britain herald., 1922-06-28
Dr. c. G. Abbott, Scientist, Rejects Possibility of Nearby Objects Having Intelligent Life.

Washington. June 26.-While there may be many worlds-millions Of them-populated by beings and cul- tured by civilizations the planet Venus, according to Dr, c, G, Abbot, asss- tant secretary of the Smithsonian in- sttution is the only one known to scientists whose conditions most near ly approximate those under which life thrives
 Writing in the annual report of the institution, just made public, Dr. Ab- bot, while he does not declare Venus to be inhabited, rejects the possibility of other nearby planets holding in teligent life.
 Planet Life Believed.
 Dr. Abbot does cite, however. the chance that there may be any mum Der of celestial bodies, yet invisible through the most powerful telescope, on which there may thrive some sort of life.
 As is well known, the scientist states, stars are suns like our own, and just as Old Sol has his retnue of satellites, of which one, at least is inhabited, so may the distant ones have one or more populous follow CTS. However, most of these are so far from us, he says, that it is hard ly conceivable telescopes will ever be so perfected as to detect their sys- tems if they have them, or decide whether or not such bodies do exist.
 The probability is that they do so," tat in inn mense numbers that among them there may well be many suitable for abodes of intelligent life. This sub ject of course, opens the door wide for speculation. but this field lies so far from the realms of certainty that it is not my purpose to enter upon it here.'
 The moon, he continues, is known to be a waterless, airless, mountainous desert. There is no probability what ever that intelligent life can be there. No living things, scarcely even the hardest chemical compound, can exist upon the sun because of the in tense heat. Water, if !t could reach the sun as steam, would be instantly separated into it's component gases, oxygen and hydrogen.
 Gas Planets.
 Of the suns outer planets, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter are con- sidered to be composed of gases of slight density. The theory of life on these would he rejected for that rea- son alone. Their temperatures. how ever, also would render them unfit for life: that of Neptune being estimated at minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit, minus 33o, and Jupiter, minus 27o. Moreover, their density is another factor; the density of Jupiter, which is the greatest of the four, is only 1.3 that of water.
 As shown by it's low refecting power Mercury. Dr. Abbot declares. like the moon, is an airless, waterless waste and being besides baked by a torrid heat, twevefold that of our own planet, there can be no thought of life there.
 The main requisites of life are light, certain inorganic salts, carbon com pounds water and warmth. Planet and life requirements of light are very elastic. Plants grow and animals thrive on earth where light is a thousandfold less than daylight, and the fall sun is far from being too strong for most of them.
 Mars Not Wonder.
 As to Mars. the scientist declares, thorough researches have shown the atmosphere of that body to contain less than one-ffth the water vapor found on the summit of Mount Ham, llton in the coldest, clearest winter nights. The solar radiation received on Mars is only six -tenths of that on the earth, and, with no moisture blanket in the atmosphere to con- serve the heat, Mars temperature is estimated to approximate SO degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. Telescopic studies reveal no clouds on Mars, Dr. Abbot declares in stating that he can not accept the views of those who "claim great things for Mars
 It has been shown by other scien- lists, he says, that descriptions of the Martian markings observed by many differ widely As widely and contra 1ictorily as would be expected of des- :riptions of the moon by persons who had never observed our satellite with put a telescope. The Martan polar caps, he believes, may be thin de- posits of hoar frost, or frozen carbonic acid gas.