The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-16
Asst RONOM[RS.
FIX GAZE ON
MARS.
Prepare to Study Possibility
Of Life There at Early
Opposition.


Opposition.
Interesting plans of a famous
observatory to TN and detect signs
Of life on Mars on August 2e are
related IN this third of a series
Of four articles.
By FRED J. WALKER.
Copyright. 1924. by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
LICK OBSERVATORY, Mt. Ham.
iiton, Calf, May 16.--Does life
exist on Mars7 This question Of
the ages may be answered here
shortly after next August 20.
On and near that date probers Of
the mysteries OF space viii be at
work on one Of the most inspiring
problems in the history Of popular
science.
They WIN seek in whatever way
they may to add to our present
knowledge Of Mars. While II IL
never possible to predict In q scien-
tific investigation in what direction
undiscovered facts are going to lead
astronomers admit that photo.
graphic observations which they
hope to make during the coming
character Of the Marian surface
and relate to such matters Of popu.
lar interest az the occurrence there
Of vegetation.
The presence Of. vegetation on
Mars would practically prove, ac-
cording to biologists. the existence
OF animals.
Photography to Aid.
The remarkable strides taken In
photography in fifteen years since
Mars was last observed will aid
such an investigation, leading in
Westigator9 here maintain.
| Photographic plates provide q
record more permanent than does
the human eye. And photographs
can be magnified. enabling OBJ.
servers in turn to examine the mag.
nified pictures with q microscope.
That 10 how science studies details
Of the surface of q far-off planet.
| Until comparatively recent years
the study Of planetary surfaces has
been carried on by the eye, aided
by the telescope, but at the last
| favorable opposition, in 1907, very
successful photographs were made
at a number of American observa-
tories especially Ut the Lowell Oh.
servatory by Prof. e. C. Slipher.
The advances that have been
made since then in Photographic
technique, especially by lights of
different colors, lead astronomers
to hope for an increase in our
knowledge both OF the form and
color of the CONGREGATIONS which
are seen on the surface OF Mars.
May Determine Character.
This knowledge may lead to some
understanding Of their true char
acter, whether, for instance. they
are vegetable or mineral.
Then photographs Of distant for
ests on this earth would be taken
under similar conditions and COM
pared with the Marian pictures to
check.up on the work.
II the, two sets Of photographs
appeared similar, science would be
able with fair degree Of accuracy
to tell the world whether or not
Mars has forests or large areas Of
vegetation.
Should Mars be found to have
what are believed to be forests,
science would possibly assume that
animals also were nvinS there, be-
cause Of the results Of investiga-
tons on this earth, indicating the
accuracy Of that line of reasoning.
And where animals and plants
are, there also is found evolution,
that mysterious attribute Of nature
which seeks to improve a species.
Mars. It IL thought, Is much older
geologically than the earth, ana the
presence of animals and plants
might therefore indicate that posi-
bly, evolution has had a chance to
bring forth a race Of beings Of re-
markable intelligence.
There is q chain Of reasoning ap-
proved of by those who study life
and devotion, which makes the i'm.
agination fairly start with the amaz-
Ing possibilities dark smudge on
q Photographic plate may present.
But even should astronomers an
nounce the discovery Of plant life
on Mars, the final answer to the
question, Does intelligent life ex.
ist there?" must come from biolo-
gists, It IL maintained.
| Astronomers say that they can
only determine what q plant has
in the form Of material things
atmosphere, heat and water-which
are aids to life.
The biologist. they assert, given
these facts must be the final au.
thority to tell the world whether
an intelligent organism could be
presumed to exist far out in space