Evening star., 1924-08-03
BY Consolidated Press.

By Consolidated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. August 2.-The
propensity of the planet Mars to go
wanderlusting through the great
heavenly spaces a couple of times
each century, together with mans
modern inventiyeness in prying into
perplexing astronomical secrets, may
lead to the solution before the pres
ent month is over of the mooted
question of whether that huge eth
ereal body is inhabited.
On August % the great planet
about which humans have wondered
so much and know so little, is sched-
uled to go on such a journey, and
before it is over, expert astronomers
and giant telescopes located. in five
big California observatories are ex-
pected to And an answer to the hith-
erto unsolved riddle.
$4,000. 900 Miles Away.
On that date astronomers will get
chance for the best closeup study
of the planet that ever has been OBJ
| tainable. For "a hours Mars will be
only $4,000 miles away from the
has been at any time in Al years
and in this close proximity, according
to modern DAY measurements of
sidereal spaces. astronomers hope to
learn much.
The movement of the war gods
huge planet toward the earth is due
to start approximately one week be-
fore August %. Each day it will
come closer and closer until even to
the naked eye the crimson body will
appear much brighter and larger
than it ever seemed before. After
August %, it will commence to re-
tire to its former position.
Watched From Five Points.
Preparations are being made. for
astronomical observations through
huge rejecting telescopes at the
Carnegie Solar Observatory on Mount
Wilson, the Lick Observatory on
Mount Lowe, the Naval Observatory
at Mare Island, the Lick Observatory
on Mount Hamilton and the Santa
all FIVE observatories will be kept
trained on Mars for all fourteen days
while IL is in movement toward the
earth and back to the position it
regularly occupies.
Since atmospheric conditions on the
Pacific Coast have been found un-
usually favorable for astronomical
study, and inasmuch as the mechani-
cal equipment of at least three Of the
big observatorieS here is the most
modern in the world, the honor may
fall to astronomers here of first tell
ing whether there is life on the mys-
terry planet.
Phnet Thought Inhabited.
Many of the worlds most eminent
astronomers have long believed that
Mars not only was inhabited, but that
it actually was inhabited by humans.
Photographs obtained through pow
erfuI telescopes already have proven
that atmospheric conditions, similar
to those surrounding our world, exist
on Mars; that there are seasonal
changes and that the planets surface,
| like that of this world, is inter
spersed with mountains, valleys and
| rivers.
Recent photographs taken at Low
| ell Observatory in Arizona also show,
astronomers - contend, that Mars
has polar zones like those of this
| world. Commenting upon the pos
sibility of life being discovered upon
Mars in observations to be made here
| this month, Capt. t. ]. J. See, United
| States Navy, director of the Naval
Observatory at Mare Island, said to-
day:
| Finds Conditions Favorable.
From the presence Of snow and
CLOUDS SHOWN IN photographs already
obtained it follows that Mars has an
atmosphere capable of producing
| water vapor, and, consequently, an
| atmosphere similar to that of our
| atmosphere Is rarefied, similar to that
earth. In all probability Martian
| in the Himalaya Mountains of Asia
or the Andes Of South America. but
| it is perfectly certain that there is
atmosphere. Knowing this and also
| that seasonal conditions change on
| Mars similar to those on this earth,
| we may be equally sure that IL GER
tain animals known to our globe, like
| the Andean condro, llama and even
| man. used to these high attitudes,
| could be landed on Mars. they could
| live and breathe comfortably pro-
vided plants on which they could
subsist also were there. The prob
ability also is that climatic and at
| mospheric conditions which we have
| learned exist there also have COM
bined to porduce such vegetation.
ut therefore is very probable, in
deed, almost certain. that Mars is
filed with the Same forms of life al
| on earth and perhaps many. more
forms than are known to ~ here.
Lana nth n oi fR