SIGNALLING TO MARS

Shannon News, 9 November 1926, Page 2

SIGNALLING TO MARS

For the second time recently, cabled news has contained an account of attempts made to conduct wireless communication with possible inhabitants of the planet Mars, intereat being sustained by the report that, some years ago a Marconi 1 expedition is said to have heard mysterious signals of the letter S in Morse code on a Avave-length on wlijch no terrestrial Avireless station lias ever .transmitted. During last week a 14 valve receiving set was used, and if such a set weie designed to function effectively* it would be sufficient ly sensitive to pick up all the static on the globe and the noise would pre- , vent the reception of weak wireless signals. .

As 5 regards the attempt to .send signals to Mars, doubt has been expressed as to whether wireless waves can leave the earth. To explain the long-distance transmission of wireless signals over the earth with transmittres of tow power, it has been necessary to assume that there is a reflecting layer in the upper atmosphere. This, hc.aviside layer has been proved definitely to exist by‘ research work carried out recently in England, and signals on the wave-lengths we use at present could not escape into outer space. Very short wave-lengths might do so, and in this connection it is interesting to note that there is some trend in' modern wireless, practice to transitiit on short w ave-lengths down to 20 metres. ' The Martians—if they exist —are said to have a much older civilisation than ours, and it might be presumed that if they are experts in : wireless communication they may be using wave-lengths on one metre or less. They would not then be heard on modern receiving sets. Newspaper writers have made humorous comments on the language difficulty, even if signals could be heard. This, however, is the least difficult obstacle to inter-planetary communication and could be easily overcome provided signals could be exchanged. .