IS MARS SIGNALLING?

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 7

IS MARS SIGNALLING?

LATEST DISCOVERY. BY SYDNEY OBSERVERS. MIRRORS OR CLOUD SPOTS. During the past two months (says the •'Sydney Evening Xews" ) astronomers all over the world have paid particular attention to the ruddy planet, and, judging by a cable received at the «nd of laat week, nothing of any importance has been detected concerning the so-called canals on Mars. But during the last couple of -weeks a considerable flutter has occurred in the camp of Sydney amateur observers, and it is just possible v.hen the observations are compared and discussed by eminent European scientists, that Sydney may be credited with important new discoveries. The easiest feature o n the planet is the south polar cap which, though small, is very brilliant, like a tiny white bead. The" dusky areas, called seas, can on nights of good definition be seen well enough to sketch with certainty, and at times some of tho fainter markings, the larger canals, can be observed; but the fine network of canals, that should have been well observed owing to the planet's near approach to the earth a few weeks ago, have not been seen. Astronomers in Europe explain this by assuming a "gloomy' , veil over Mars, a something in that planet" s atmosphere that had not been detected before.

The very latest is the discovery of in- i . tensely bright elongated spots, that need some explanation. These have been seen independently by three reliable observers in Sydney. e;ich of whom possesses a ; good telescope. It is possible that these spots are snow clouds. Last night's ob- ;. serrations showed one spot bad moved 2Odeg in latitude nearer the South Pole i since its detection 24 hours previously. ! i But what about signals from Mars? If it be an older planet than the earth, as may be safely assumed, if life and intelli- j gence exist there, as many believe, such must be in advance of ours, and as we have only recently thought of signalling to Mars, it is more possible, it is probable—that is, granting the existence ; of advanced intelligence—that the Martians have tried to signal to the earth. \ Can any of the bright spots be mirrors ? . —not likely, they would be so im- ! mense, though advanced intelligence may j be able to overcome constructional difficulties that baffle us on earth. Can the spots be fires, and the haze from I them responsible for the obliteration of the finer markings f In other words, is ' Mars signalling to us?