If Percival Lowell, (an astronomer in the late 1800's)
were alive today I wonder if his logic would
have changed? The logic of his time stated that: "Mars is smaller than
Earth ...therefore... lower gravity ...therefore... thinner atmosphere ...therefore...
lower atmospheric pressure ...therefore... water leaks away into space...therefore...
water on Mars is precious and canals are needed to move water to key regions.
Martians are forced to move water from the poles to the arable regions at
lower latitudes." In Lowell's imagination the dark green areas on Mars
were vegetation. These dark regions showed distinct seasonal changes. In
addition, Lowell believed that there
was very little surface relief and no significant mountain ranges to obstruct
the building of straight canals. The lack of water would have caused life
to move out of the oceans much earlier on Mars than Earth. Therefore, Martians
were more highly evolved than Earthlings. They would have to be smarter
to cope with their global ecological catastrophe. They were peaceful and
contemplative, without the complications and wars that Earth people often
inflicted on themselves. Martians might be three times the height of Earthlings,
27 times as efficient, 81 times stronger. Canals were too small to be seen
directly; instead the irrigated, vegetated bands along the canals were being
viewed,which allowed their direct detection. There were 437 canals, most
very straight, some as long as 1,500 kilometers, very uniform in width (~50
kilometers), some double, that have been mapped by Lowell. There were locations,
all in dark areas, where as many as seven canals converged. Lowell believed
pumping stations (with 6' diameter pipes...) were located at "oases"
at canal intersections.
were alive today I wonder if his logic would
have changed? The logic of his time stated that: "Mars is smaller than
Earth ...therefore... lower gravity ...therefore... thinner atmosphere ...therefore...
lower atmospheric pressure ...therefore... water leaks away into space...therefore...
water on Mars is precious and canals are needed to move water to key regions.
Martians are forced to move water from the poles to the arable regions at
lower latitudes." In Lowell's imagination the dark green areas on Mars
were vegetation. These dark regions showed distinct seasonal changes. In
addition, Lowell believed that
there
was very little surface relief and no significant mountain ranges to obstruct
the building of straight canals. The lack of water would have caused life
to move out of the oceans much earlier on Mars than Earth. Therefore, Martians
were more highly evolved than Earthlings. They would have to be smarter
to cope with their global ecological catastrophe. They were peaceful and
contemplative, without the complications and wars that Earth people often
inflicted on themselves. Martians might be three times the height of Earthlings,
27 times as efficient, 81 times stronger. Canals were too small to be seen
directly; instead the irrigated, vegetated bands along the canals were being
viewed,which allowed their direct detection. There were 437 canals, most
very straight, some as long as 1,500 kilometers, very uniform in width (~50
kilometers), some double, that have been mapped by Lowell. There were locations,
all in dark areas, where as many as seven canals converged. Lowell believed
pumping stations (with 6' diameter pipes...) were located at "oases"
at canal intersections.