The Washington herald., 1922-06-17
MARS WILL REACH
NEAREST POINT TO
EARTH TOMORROW
Naval Observatory Pre-
pares to Study Celes-
tial Guest.
SCIENTISTS AT ODDS
Differ as to Whether or Not
Life Really Exists on
Planet
SCIENTISTS AT ODDS

inter-planetary communication. will
be within 42.360,0 900 miles of the
earth tomorrow. the .losest in more
| than a decade.
In 1903 the war-like sphere was
within 36.500.9o0 inilss of the earth
but. owing to the undeveloped state
| of the telescopes AMI N Assuring In
struments of that day, the discoy-
cries were not nearly as momentous
as those that are expected to devel-
| op tomorrow night.
The United States Naval Observa-
| tory will view the fiery orb though
glass weighing 800 pounds and
measuring IS inches in diameter.
The entire instrument. including
dais and metal castings weighs 2S
tons.
"white Caps- Lessening.
Prof. Asaph Hall is in charge OF
the Marian work at the Naval OBJ
| servatory and under his personal
direction daily observations of the
planet are being made. Professor
Hall is the son of Prof. Asaph Hall.
sr., who discovered the n satellites
| that revolve around the nearing
planet, and is considered one of the
| ablest astronomers In the country.
When asked as to the condition
of the surface of Mars. Profess1r
Hall stated: within the last few
| days the white caps which are ever
prevalent at both poles are gracu-
ally lessening and a pale green SUBJ
stance lie noted. AS TO being able
to determine just what this sub
stance is. we are a good deal at
sea. In fact. we do not know what
the white caps are composed of
II may be that they are snow, and
| the sun in striking them has melt
ed a great quantity au6 uncovered
the green vegetation growing un-
derneath."
Doubts Existence of Life.
| In response to the query as 10
whether or not human life exists on
the planet, Professor Hall said: TT
is possible but extremely improbs-
BILE that there exists on Mars any
| form of animate life. There is very
much less atmosphere surrounding
Mars than there is around the
Earth and therefore IL any life does
exist IT would necessarily be con-
structed on entirely different lines
than we are. It would be imposst-
BILE for persons of worldly" lung
of oxygen"
He pointed out that the prize
of 10000 francs which has been
! offered by the French Academy OF
Arts and Sciences for the discovery.
in any meteorite, of any form OF
| organic matter whatsoever, has
never been won. We discover in
meteorites the most wonderful col
orings and laminations. but not q
trace of organic matter. A piece
Of bone or anything of the sort
which might be found in a meteor
would dennitely prove the exist
.nce of animate life in the far on
worlds"
| Canals, Unusually Vivid.
| Prof. George Hill. an eminent au
thority on astronomy at the Naval
Observatory, asserted that the Mar
tian canals, which have aroused
the greatest curiosity all over the
world and have given rise to con-
lectures as to their origin, are now
unusually vivid and that tomorrow
they will be plainly visible through
even fair-sized telescopes.
The origin of the canals has been
a moot question among scientists
for many years. Some believe what
we see is vegetation growing be.
side waterways and not the
actual Canals" They were discov.
cred forty-five years ago by ar
Italian astronomer, Schiaparelli
Because of the closeness of the
planet to the earth at that time
81, 900. 600 miles. and the extreme
clarity of the Italian skies he was
able to distinguish what he called
the canals. with an eight and
three -quarters-inch glass.
Scientists after long years OF
disagreement now generally believe
that their exists on Mars a con-
siderable quantity of water vapor
although they have not reached ar
agreement as to the exact guam
tity of the substance. 1t Is also
generally believed that seasona
changes take place in the color
and general appearance of the dari
markings on the distant sphere.
Nearest Approach Tomorrow.
According to authorities on the
subject the great mass is hurtline
toward this planet at rate OF
10000 miles per day. at which rate
1t will continue to approach US un'
til tomorrow, when 1t will grad.
uaily recede. objects In the solar
system travel in oppositions, thai
is, they approach the earth and
gradually draw away from IL al
certain regular intervals. Every
two years and two months. up Il
a certain period, Mars draws closer
to this planet. In 1924 she will
come to within 34.6oo.oo0 miles OF
the earth and in another two years
will begin to recede. the limit OF
opposition having been reached.
Those desiring to view the near.
ing globe can easily do so on any
clear night when Mars will be
plainly visible in the southeast. al.
most riyaling Venus for splendol