Evening star., 1924-11-22
MARS 'u|FEL|KELY,
PICTURES REVEAL
Photos Show Planet Has
Light, Heat and Air Some
! what Like Earth.
By the A associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO, November 22.-
An Interpretation of the recent obser-
vation of Mars. when the planet was
at its closest point TO the earth.
strengthens the probability that
Mars is fitted to support life" said
Robert q. Aitken. astronomer at Lick
Observatory of the University of Cali
fornia, in lecture here last night
He went on to explain. IF, as many
observers believe, the greenish tinge
of great surface areas in the early
Martian Summer is due to vegetation,
then undoubtedly animal life. at least
of low form, is present, for the two
are always coexistent on our earth.
Life Not Improbable.
This is not at all improbable, but
II cannot as yet be regarded as def
nltely eSta blished."
Mr.. Aitken pointed out that from
observations astronomers in general
have reached the conclusion that
Mars has both air and water on its
surface, but not enough water to ere
ate any permanent ocean or even
great lakes, and hardly enough air to
make the atmosphere as dense as our
own at the height OF our highest
mountain tops.
Because of this relatively low
oensity of atmosphere and the fact
dA CO IoI area Mars receives less
than half as much light and heat
from the sun as falls uuon This
earth, the general opinion has been
that the mean temperature of Mars
must be very low, probably far below
freezing. No general agreement can
ne SAID TO exist as to the precise form
ana Interpretation Of the finer details
OF the planetary markings.
Measuring of Heat.
ne decided advance made at the
recent observation is along two lines
At the Lowell Observatory. FLAGSTAFF,
Ariz., and at the Mount Wilson OBJ
serratory near Pasadena, Calf. cN-
tremeiy delicate and sensitive ther-
mo-eiectric instruments have been
used in conjunction with powerful
rejecting telescopes to measure the
heat radiation from the planet as A
Whoie and from different parts of
the surface. The distance of The.
planet, 35,000,000 miles, and the
absorption effects of our own atmos-
phere make the problem an extreme
~ dlihcult one. and it is not sur
prislng that, numerically. the results
obtained at the two observatories are
not entirely in accord. The important
fact is that both put the noon day
temperature of Mars we'll above the
freezing point, the Mount Wilson
Observatory at about - degrees
Fahrenheit. the Flagstaff Observatory
at from 45 to 90.
Even if the temperature falls far
lower in the Marian night this is
by no means an impossible tempera-
ture for the support of life"
Results of Photographs.
Mr.. Aitken reviewed the results of
photographs taken in light of diff
ferent parts of the spectrum-that
is, on plates sensitive to red light. on
others sensitive to orange and yellow
light, and on ordinary Photographic
plates sensitive to violet light.
The contrast between the red SEN
Sitive and the violet sensitive plates
is remarka BILE" he said. THE pho
tographs taken with red light show
a great amount of surface detail and
marked decrease in brightness at
the outer edge or rim OF the planets
disk and give the disk decidedly
smaller than the one imprinted on
the ordinary plates by violet light.
The others show no detail except the
polar cap and do not show the fad
ing of light at the outer rim of the
disk. Now it has long been known
that our own atmosphere does not
permit light of any short wave
length to pass through it. In fact
the blue color of our clear sky is due
to the scattering by the atmosphere
of this short wave length light.
Depth of Atmosphere.
"By analogy we are led to the in
ference that the images of Mars on
the ordinary Photographic plates are
the images of its outer atmosphere,
whereas those on the red sensitive
plates give pictures of the true sur
face of the planet. If this is cor
rect it follows that Mars has con-
siderably greater depth of atmos-
phere than had been supposed, pos
sibly depth of 100 to 12O miles.
and that in it's general qualities it
may resemble our own. 1t will not
be so dense as our own because the
attraction of gravitation on Mars 5
only two-ffthS as strong as at the
surface of the earth. The polar caps
on the ordinary Photographic plates
will then be cloud or haze caps, which
may cover smaller true ice cap on
the surface of the planet.
This Interpretation fits the OBJ
served facts well, and, taken in con-
junction with the temperature meas
ures, strengthens the probability that
HArs is fitted to support life.
FURTHER than this, we cannot go.
The nature of the so-called canals is
~rS in dispute, but it may be- said
so. lively that we have so far no
toservational evidence that they are
artificial or that intelligent beings
.,xist on Mars. All stories of sig
nails from Mars are absurd.