Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-10-27


CHICAGO. October 27.-Mars, the
rudy world of mystery about which
men have specialized for hundreds of
years. is not likely to yield very much
information concerning its physical
aspects until larger and more power
full telescopes are made.
This was the opinion of astronomers
at Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay,
Wis, who have been training their
lenses on the enigma of the skies, now
a scant 42.600,000 miles from a Ques-
tioning earth.
Weather. was ideal at Williams Bay
last night. but air currents interfered
with observation, creating a haze
| about the planet and causing it's tele-
ScOptic image to waver before eager
eyes. Several sketches were made,
however, and observations will be
continued for the next two weeks.
4. Summer Well Advanced.
Current scrutiny Of the planet,
which has two moons to the earth's
one. has revealed that the Summer
season is we'll advanced. The white
spot at the north polar region, taken
to be Ice or snow, was considerably
smaller than during the observations
Of August, 1924, the last time Mars
was in a favorable position for inves-
tigation.
Prof. William Fox of Dearborn
Observatory, Northwestern Univer-
sity, estimated the diameter Of the
| cap at 240 miles. Just now it Is the
Summer season on Mars" he said.
| and we find the polar cap reduced In
size I have seen dark lines indlcat-
| ing rivers and canals, but these have
been showing dinlly of late because OF
unfavorable atmospheric conditions.
The intriguing question as t0
whether life exists on the planet still
remains matter Of conjecture, In the
opinion of many astronomers. To the
scientist life may mean the least hint
of vegetation deducted from apparent
climatic and atmospheric changes, but
to the man in the street life means
only .one thing-human life.
Prof. Edwin B. Frost of YerkeS be-
| lieves that if life exists on Mars, 1t is
of such a low form that the building
of canals, a the operating of light
signals to the earth and other mani
| festations occasionally attributed to
"Martians" are impossible.
Former Existence Possible.
1t Is possible, he said, that a high
form of life did exist on Mars millions
Of years ago, but with the passing
mosphere diminishes rather than in
creases. The air on Mars, Prof. Frost
said, is one-thirtieth the weight of the
air on the earth, while temperature
changes are extreme, ranging from
80 to 40 degrees above freezing at
noon to 100 to $50 below freezing at
| midnight.
Another thrust at the man.life
theory came from DR.. w. H. Steaven-
son, astronomical observer at the
Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Eng
land, who said that efforts to pick up
wigwags from Mars are all bun
kum."
"All we hope to do and gain in 40
to so years is some definite idea of the
climate and physical conditions and
afterward by deduction decide
whether Martians really exist"
The attention of scientists in all
parts of the world has been attracted
to Mars this week because it is nearer
| the earth than it will be again until
| 1889. 1t is little farther away than
| in 1924, but it's position in the sky,
above the north horizon, makes it
ideal for. study. On it's visit two
years ago many radio listeners picked
| up signals they could not identify and
expressed the belief that Martians
were attempting to communicate
with the world.
MARS RT,ANEn FOR STORMS