Will Earth and Mars Signal to Each Other April 27th?
The near approach of Mars to Earth and the announcement some time ago of Prof. Hubert II. Goddard. of Clark College, that he intended to shoot a rocket to Mars, have awakened interest In the planet again. Wireless experts have received mysterious messages, which some have suggested came from Mars.
“This picture shows a Martian as Scientists who believe there is life on the planet he would appear. He is about nine times the height of man with a huge chest to breathe rarified air of the planet, weak eyes and probably mechanical aid to hearing or wireless more of ordinary communication.”
BY RUSS SIMONTON.
Mars, ”mystery planet,” will swing within a celestial stone’s throw of Earth, April 27. Astronomers are polishing their instruments for a close look at Earth’s little brother in the family of worlds we call the Solar System. He will come within 54,000,000 miles of Earth—an astronomical bagatelle.
If there is thinking life on any other of the nine worlds that are children of the Sun. astronomers say it exists on Mars. Some planets are still too hot, some cold in death and others too small, too close or too far from the Sun lo support life. Mars, with the possible exception of Venus, is most likely inhabited.
Earth Is an average distance of 92,900,000 miles from the Sun, while Mars is usually 141,500,000 miles away from its source of heal and light. Martian climate, then. Is likely to be very severe. Earth is 7918 miles in diameter and Mars only a little more than half that size—4230 miles. Therefore, attraction of gravitation on Mars wilt be much less than on Earth and all things dependent upon gravitation different.
But, although Mars makes a trip about the Sun once In 687 days, while the Earth makes the same trip In 365 days, the Martian dayis only 41 minutes and 18.56 seconds longer than an Earth day.
Mars “Tips” on its orbit much as Earth does, and thus Martians enjoy seasons exactly like those of Earth, although each season will be longer. It has been quite well established now that water is scarce on Mars and that there are no true oceans, no real clouds and that the surface of Mars is quite unformly regular with no high mountains or deep valleys. Therefore, it is unlikely that there is any real wind on Mars.
One more fact of great significance In connection with speculations ns to life on Mars Is the age of the planet. It is eons older than the Earth.
So with all this data, let us see what kind of a man a Martian would be.
First of all. he would be a giant. The height of growing things—both plants and animals—Is largely governed by the pull of gravity. Mars is only one ninth as massive as Earth, and hence has much less pull. The Martian probably would be at least nine times the size of man. But there’s less air—or rather the air is less dense, because the Martian, if he needs as much air as man. would have to have enormous lungs In suck it Ii. He could out-run and out-jump Earth citizens and probably could lift a railroad car with case.
But, age after age Earth men change, As civilization adds to his clothing and decreases the amount of physical work and hardship, man loses his hair, his teeth, even his toes grow together. The Martian has undergone civilization very much longer and so he has undoubtedly changed much more than Earth man.
He probably wears powerful lens over his eyes and If he uses his ears at all he has electrical devices to increase their hearings. More probably he doesn’t talk at all. but uses some form of thought transference as a medium of communication