To Communicate with Mars is Impossible

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18015, 27 November 1926, Page 17

To Communicate with Mars is Impossible

Some Fallacies about the Planet Exploded

Truth about the Canals

Many of the false impressions obtaining about the Earth s nearest planetary neighbour—Mars—are exploded in this article written for the “Star” by Mr P. W. Glover, a member of the staff of the Physical Laboratory, Canterbury College.

My first observation when T saw Marrs at opposition with the aid ot a reallv good telescope—a twenty and a half inch Newtonian reflecting telescope constructed by Mr W ard of the Wanganui Observatory—was a very disappointed -Oh:” Everyone who his read the story of the wonderlul Martian “canals' and then observes the planet with the aid of a good telescope is doomed to disappointment. I sa> a “good” telescope, for Mars is not a good telescopic object, and with an indifferent instrument it >s difficult to make anvthing of the markings which appear on his surface, even when in opposition. . Although Mars is such a poor object for us. seen from PhoboS (the Terror) his first satellite, he would present a sight unique in the solar system. For an observer placed on that minute body, the Martian globe, onlv 0000 miles distant, would appear gigantic, its diameter stretching over 42 degrees of the skv —reaching from the horizon half wav to the zenith! An excellent drawing of this was prepared by the noted astronomer Eugene Michael Antoniadi whose artistic abilities cannot be called in question—at the request of the late Camille Flammarion, which drawing the writer is able to reproduce with this article. (Figure U. The so-called continental regions which occupy the major part of. the planet's surface are. in general, of a reddish, rose colour varied by more or less light or dark tones. They often present a maximum brightness to the north of the so-called equinoctial seas. There vast areas appear entirely denuded, .but there are at.S»q.' reddish patches which do'not seem to be deprived of fertility. The dark, patches which diffraction reduces considerably in small telescopes and which apparent-

ly correspond to depressions in the surface present varied and variable colouration. • The first suggestion that there might be life on Mars was due to Schia parelli's announcement of the “canals" which he observed on the surface. It iv now just half a century since Schia parelli made Ip's startling discovery, and the controversy as to whether the markings he saw represented canals or not is still active and has filled more pages of memoirs than many people \vohid care to read. Their sudden shifts of position, their leaps, their disappearances and reappearances, their intensifications and duplications have all gone to mark the “canals” as the inepnstant vagaries of physiological phenomena rather than as permanent topographical features of a cooling world.

For Maunder, the “canals’ were only a “complexity of details.” Cerulh thought that the lines were formed by the eye connecting dark objects stretching in certain directions; he “canal” a real band on Mars generating the illusory line. Modern observations have confirmed the ideas of these distinguished scientists. Optical argument shows that, these geometrical “canals,'” contrary to the ideas of Schiaparelli and of Lowell are not real lines on the Martian surface since they disobey the laws of diffraction. They differ then radically from true black planetary lines, like the Cassini division of Saturn’s ring which enlarges itself considerably in a large objective, in strict conformity with the law of diffraction and of the separation of close double stars in powerful instruments. Another fatal objection to the pretended reality of the rectilinear “canals” resides in the fact that they do not conform rigorously to the laws of perspective. Figure 2 is from a drawing by M.

Antoniadi. The left hand part of the figure represents a certain part of the Martian surface known as Elysium, as seen complete with a system of “cauls” by Schiaparelli between the years 1877 and 1890. The right hand part shows the resolution of the same details into irregular lines and shadows. This is how Antoniadi saw the. same region between the years 1909 and 1924 with the aid of the 33in diameter telescope of the Observatory of Meudon, a much more powerful instrument than that possessed by Schiaparelli. M. Antonia<li, besides being the finest observer of Mars at the present time, is an artist of consummate ability, and his drawing will explain more than the writer could hope to explain himself in an article such as this. It will be noticed that wherever Schiaparelli has drawn a “ canal ” there is in Antoni-

adi's drawing a succession of markings which, if seen imperfectly, might give rise to the impression of a straight : line. I The presence of the polar caps on 1 Mars, which vary in size with the sea- ! sons as though composed of snow, I would indicate that the planet is posi sessed of an atmosphere. It would 1 seem, then, that the blue band observed on the terminator by Masdler in 1841, and by others at later dates, is probably the blue of the Martian sky projected on the non-illuminated pori tion of the globe. The great yellow clouds veiling or blotting out the dark ! spots for weeks at a time do not al- ! ways form at the same season. Besides these yellowish and white clouds, there are others which are invisible to the eye, but which can be detected by photographic means, employing ultra-vio- ' let screens, and comparing the photographs so obtained with photographs taken with the aid of a red screen. Obj servations of the clouds indicate the presence of winds. The observed displacements of the Martian clouds are comparable to the movements of our depressions and cyclones. The presence of atmosphere, polar I caps, and of the colour of a probable vegetation, points to a mean tempera ture comparable with that of the ! earth. This leads to the conclusion that it would not be unreasonable to suppose that. Mars may possibly be-in- ; habited. As to whether it. is inhabited jor not, we shall probably always rei main in ignorance. We have heard | much of late concerning attempts to : establish radiographic, communication ■ with Mars. There always have been, i and probably always will be, people inflicted with cerebral disorders of that i nature. Fortunately they are a harraj Let us make several ' assumptions:— (1) Mars is inhabited. (2) The inhabitants are a people of culture equal to or greater than ours. (3) It. is possible to transmit electromagnetic waves of radio frequency i and wave length from the earth to | Mars. I (4) The Martians understand all about I wireless. Then what are the chances that the Martians would understand the messages which we would send them? Certainly the chances against the idea would be infinitely great. Moreover, all the assumptions we have made are open to many very serious objections, so that the chances of our not being able to get into communication with Mars are so infinitely great that no person of average intelligence would countenance the idea for a moment.

I The most up-to-date of the j markings on the Martian surface was | prepared last year (1925) by M. E. M. Antoniadi, from observations made by I him with the great telescope of the Observatory of Meudon l>etween 1909 and 1924, together with observations of the ’ high northern latitudes by M. G. Millocan with the same telescope between 1898 and 1903. Mars at its nearest approach to the earth is 35,000.000 miles away -at present it is 43,000,000 miles distant. Its diameter is only half that of the earth: i.e., its diameter is about 4000 miles, so that its volume is only about oneeighth that of the earth, and its surface about one-quarter that of the earth. It subtends at its closest approach the same angle as would a halfpenny 200 yards away. Further, it reflects only about onc-qijarte,r of the light falling on it from the sun. Is it not to the credit of astronomers that they have found out so much about our neighbour?