OPTIMIST CLUB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1939, Page 7

OPTIMIST CLUB

LECTURE ON ASTRONOMY

THE PLANET MARS. Mr A. Handyside presided over a good attendance at the weekly meeting and tea of the Masterton Optimist Club last night at which Mr B. Iveson gave an address on astronomy, dealing chiefly with the planets and particularly with Mars which at the present time is engaging the special attention of astronomers because of the fact that it is nearer to the earth than usual. In the course of his remarks Mi Iveson stated that Mars was approximately 49,000,000 miles from the earth with an average distance from the sun of 141,500.000 miles. The planet required 687 days to travel round the sun, as compared with that of the earth 365 days. Mars was 4363 miles in diameter —not much more than half that of the earth —and was of a rudd} colour. Early in the evening it coulc. be seen in the eastern sky. The atmosphere of Mars was thinner than that of the earth and it may be possible foi life to exist there, said the speaker. Bands had been discovered round Mars but nobody could say for certain what they were. It had been suggested by some astronomers that they were canals, but if that were so they must be about 60 miles wide —approximately the distance from Masterton to Wellington—and with at least 200 miles to 400 miles between them There would be one canal at Invercargill. another at Dunedin, another at Christchurch, another at Wellington and so on. While, the earth had no moon Mars had two. One of these revolved round the planet in 30hrs. 17 min. 54secs., and the other every 7 hrs. 39min. 14secs. —in fact the latter revolved three times round Mars in the same time that the planet turned round once. One of the moons rises in the west, passes across the heavens and sets in the east, while the othei rises in the east and sets in the west. The speaker referred to the extraordinary guess made by Dean Swift in "Gulliver's Travels” when he made the astronomers on the flying Island of Laputa discover two Satellites to Mars, one of which revolved round the planet in ten hours and the other in 211 hours., Jonathan Swift published “Gulliver’s Travels” in 1726, and it was not till 1877, 132 years after Swift died, that Asaph Hall discovered the moons of Mars. Swift not only made a correct guess about the number of moons but he actually stated the periodic time with considerable accuracy. This is a most astounding thing and we do not know what could have suggested it to Swift, said the speaker. Referring to the distances of the planets and the stars from the earth the speaker said that Neptune was so far away from the earth that an aeroplane travelling at the rate of 100 miles an hour day and night, covering 2400 miles a day, would take 3082 years to reach the planet from the earth. To count the distance in miles at one per second would take 85 years. The stupendous distances of the -planets and the stars from the earth baffled the imagination.

A number of questions were asked by members who displayed considerable knowledge of the planets, stars, and the system of which the earth is a portion, an interesting discussion taking place. The speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address. A warm welcome was extended tc. Mr D. E. Parton, of Christchurch, and formerly of Masterton. After referring to the formation of the Y.M.C.A. in Masterton and other events of thirtj to forty years ago, Mr Parton, who was formerly secretary of the Masterton Football Club and a member of the Management Committee of the Wairarapa Rugby Union, briefly touched on matters relating to football. A speaker stated that it was due to Mr Parton that football was revived in Masterton some 37 years age, there being at that time no Saturday club in existence in Masterton. Mr Parton organised a meeting in Masterton and his energetic efforts resulted in the formation of the Masterton Club which ultimately produced All Blacks Joe O’Leary and Edgar Wrigley, Davy Logan (who refused the position of halfback in the All Blacks which went to England in 1905) and many others who made football history. A most enjoyable community sing was held. Mr G. ‘Barr was appointed deputy press reporter.