A Romance of Mars.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 April 1910, Page 4

A Romance of Mars.

A romance of tho universe was shattered in one sentence by Mr E. W. Maunder, of Greenwich Observatory, at a. meeting of tho I'ovial Astronomical Society recently. Ho declared that there were no eaiuals oil Mars, that there were no Martains, and that all the interesting stories which have been written about the planet were simply so much sensational fiction. Mr S. A. Saunders first exhibited lantern slides showing new photographs of Mars taken by Professor ifnle at the Mount Wilson Observatory, California, by means of his 60incli telescope. "The photographs are an. enormous improvement on any that have been previously taken," said Mr Mauuuler, "and yet there is no indication on them of the spider-like network. The explanation given by M. Antoniada, director of tho. Mars section, is a satisfactory one. it is that the supposed canals are tho effect on the eye of congeries of dark spots. THE SUPPOSED CANALS. There was Jiever any real ground for supposing that we had in the marking of Mars any evidence of artificial action. Had it not been that the idea was a somewhat sensational one, we would never have heard of it, and it is better for science that is has now l>een completely disposed of. You may sleep quietly in your beds without any fear of invasion from Mars." Mr A. C. D. Crommelin was equally reassuring regarding Bailey's comet. "Although the speed of the comet is so great," he stated, "it has little density, and I do not believe we would suffer the slightest damage if we went right through the head of it. We shall prohablv pass through the tail. The eornett has been spreading out a tail millions of miles long since 210 B.C. The density of the tail must he very small indeed, for it was not known until afterwards that the earth had passed through it in 18G1."