GLORY OF THE STARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22822, 1 September 1937, Page 10

GLORY OF THE STARS

HEAVENS IN SEPTEMBER THE PROBLEM, OF MARS CHANGES IN CANALS BY CRUX At'STRALTS The planet Mars, at present a prominent object in the constellation Scorpio in the evening sky, is perhaps the best-known of all the celestial orbs to the man 111 the street. This general interest 111 a neighbouring planet is exhibited every party visits 'an observatory. The occasion never passes without some question being asked as to conditions ou Mars and whether there is life there. Ordinarily a rather insignificant planet, and not the nearest to the Earth, Mars assumed its importance in the eyes of the general public toward the dawn of the present century, mainly owing to the writings of one ' man, the late Percival Lowell. Still earlier a noted Italian astronomer, Schiaparelli, had set about a trigonometrical survey of the Martian disc and was astonished to find his triangles • already marked out on the surface of the planet. These faint cobweb-like lines their discoverer termed "canaii," which •was too freely translated into the English "canals." Vast Network of Canals Once these objects had been discovered they were seen by a number of prominent observers, and Lowell, taking xip their study, built for himself an observatory in the pure desert air of Arizona. Lowell found that __ the canals covered the surface of Mars in a fairly regular network extending for thousands of miles. A,t various points where two canals intersected were "oases," as Lowell termed them, dark regions 011 the desert surface each covering perhaps several thousand square miles. From his studies of the planet, Lowell was soon led to the belief that intelligent lii'c existed there. The fact was noted that the canals were subject to change. Usually faint or invisible during the spring, as the polar caps shrank they darkened., appearing to grow toward the equator at a rate of 50 miles a day. Then they faded away again, but half a year later the same equatorial drift was seen in the opposite hemisphere. Martian Irrigation Systems Lowell conceived that these en nam were the visible portion of a vast irrigation system, carrying the water formed at the melting polar caps to the parched equatorial regions Mars, everyone knew, was in a more advanced state of development than the Earth, it had less atmosphere and ver\ little water vapour. Lowell's vivid imagination pictured the Martians, their racial animosities forgotten, banded together in a League of Nations whose one objective was the provision of water for the Martian masses, performing the Herculean task of digging vast irrigation systems, the vegetation surrounding which' became visible to us as faint ill-defined lines. The theory was a fascinating one and caught the public fancy when Lowell's, ably-penned book was published. Still more ably did lie defend his views against the storm of scientific criticism which immediately enveloped him. The canals were optical illusions.' Many famous observers could not see them, Then, while still defying the keenest scrutiny of the iarger telesco|>es. they were seen in England i'or the first time by the possessor of a very modest telescope. Controversy For Many Years The canals were not lines, retorted the critics. They were composed of minute markings 011 the limit of vision, which the overstrained eye interpreted as lines. They could not be photographed, was the dogmatic assertion of the disbelievers, knowing full v.ell.that tlie feat was then impossible. Lowell retorted by achieving the impossible l — canals were photographed. To every objection Lowell had his answer, and so the controversy waged over many years, exciting the keenest public interest. To-day the balance of opinion is against the existence of intelligent life on Mars as Lowell pictured it. but the redly shining planet of the God of A\ ar still remains the paramount- planet in the minds of many. Phenomena lor September The Sun is at present in the constellation ]/eo. It will pass into Virgo on September IS. Its noon altitude at Auckland will increase during the month from 44 degrees to 00} degrees. The vernal equinox will occur on September 23. 1 The Moon will bo in conjunction with the various naked-eye planets during the month as follows: Venus, 2nd. 2.30 p.m.; Mercury, 6th, 4.130 p.m.; Mars, 13th, 5.30 a.m.; Jupiter, loth, 5.30 p.m.; Saturn. 21st, 12.30 p.m. Mercury, at present in the evening sky, will be in conjunction with the Sun on the 14th. when it will pass into the morning sky, attaining its greatest, western elongation from the Sun on the 30th. Venus, also in the morning sky. will pass very close to the fixed star Eegulus on September 24. only one-third of a degree separating the two objects, in the constellation Scorpio, is nearly overhead at nightfall, and sets about midnight. Slightly further east, in Sagittarius, is the brilliant Jupiter, well past opposition, but still a suitable object for teleseop-c scrutiny. The remaining naked-eye planet, Saturn, comes to opposition 'this month, and may be studied with advantage. As the ring system i's still very narrow the planet does not appear as bright as usual. It may be found «n Pisces, close to the celestial equator