SWIFT'S FLIGHT OF IMAGINATION.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2544, 29 November 1924, Page 9

SWIFT'S FLIGHT OF IMAGINATION.

On Saturday, August 23, Mars was nearer to the earth—only some 24 million miles away—than it has been for alumdred years, or will be for the next century..,’ n

It may be' interesting to note that while the Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, etc,, all have moons, or satellites, Mars showed none until 1 877, when, thanks to an American astronomer and his 26-inch refractor telescope, two minute moons wore discovered ’ revolving round that most interesting plan&t. Those moons take ° n 'y—the one seven and a-balf, the other thirty and a-quartcr hours to complete a revolution. In connection -with this discovery (write s a correspondent in Journal) mention must now be made of the most extraordinary fulfilment of ,a flight of human imagination that has ever, been developed in the world's history. .Swift wrote "Gulliver’s Travels” in the year 1726. He then spoke of the astronomers ip the Island of as being furnished with telescopes so Wonderful that they discovered not only one, but two moons, revolving round Mars, one completing a revolution in ten hours, the other in twentyone and a-half hours. It is surprising that he should have said there were two moons, which is true, but it is simply astounding that he should have attributed to thorn periods of revolution so small as to be utterly .at variance with any facts known about the solar system. Ana it seems actually miraculous that he should have, so nearly to thc truth, stated the periods of revolution of these two moons of Mars, which were never even seen till a century ana a-half later.