Theos-Talk Archives (February 2006 Message tt00610)

Life on Mars was popular public speculation in 1910 when CWL claimed
personal authority on the matter.  Since 1910 a little jnana yoga and
old-fashioned investigative work has provided a much clearer picture of life
on Mars.  Magnetism is key to many energetic schemes - astral, etheric and
physical.  And, as history proved, Mars does not have a magnetic field.
Albeit, a magnetic field did exist on Mars more than 250,000 years ago.
Some scientists believe that microbial life once existed on Mars.  Microbes,
like all living forms, have subtle energy bodies.  The ability to support
the astral and physical elements is tied to magnetic conditions, as are all
electromagnetic phenomena.  The loss of Mars' magnetic field may be tied to
Blavatsky's comments about the obscuration of that planet.  Losing a
magnetic field is a major shift in a planet's life, in physical, astral and
etheric terms.  (See "Magnetic Storm," NOVA series)

An account of vegetation and artificial structures believed to exist on
Mars, printed in the Encyclopedia Brittanica (1910), is copied below with a
link to a NASA web site. This popular theory of life on Mars at the time
that CWL described intricate knowledge of its complex organization may
provide context to his claims to insider's knowledge.  At the time, CWL may
have believed he was on safe ground, which could point to intent to be safe
in jumping on the bandwagon.  To Lowell's credit, his error was an honest
one based on facts available to him.  CWL's flight of fantasy was not
supported by any objective fact except sheer faith on the same order the
"Conservative" Catholic Church requires, not to mention the "Liberal"
Catholic Church. 

http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/canals.html
<http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/canals.html> 

The Lowell observatory, founded in 1894 at Flagstaff, with a 24" telescope,
studied linear features on Mars, as well as the seasonal changes in polar
caps. Professor Lowell's theories about the habitability of Mars were based
on his estimate that martian temperatures averaged 48°F, and were enhanced
by his observation of clouds. One such cloud on the terminator was estimated
to be 17 miles high, "a tawny color, of the tint exhibited by a cloud of
dust", with an extent of 300 miles. Perhaps this was a cloud over Olympus
Mons (Fig.2, "Olympia")? 
It was at Lowell that the only consistent observations of canals, originally
termed canale by Secchi (1858) and Schiaparelli (1877), were made. The
Encyclopedia Brittanica 11th Edition (1910) doubts their being waterways,
noting that their breadth of many miles made it absurd to call them canals,
but believed that the oft-noted seasonal changes were evidence of blue-green
vegetation. Lowell maintained that the linear features were indeed of
artificial origin. Here is the account: 
"Professor Lowell's theory is supported by so much evidence of different
kinds that his own exposition should be read in extenso in Mars and its
canals (1906) and Mars as the abode of life (1909). In order, however, that
his views may be adequately presented here, he has kindly supplied the
following summary in his own words: 
"Owing to inadequate atmospheric advantages generally, much misapprehension
exists as to the definiteness with which the surface of Mars is seen under
good conditions. In steady air the canals are perfectly distinct lines, not
unlike the Fraunhofer ones of the Spectrum, pencil lines or gossamer
filaments acording to size. All the observers at Flagstaff concur in this.
The photographs of them taken there also confirm it up to the limit of their
ability. Careful experiments by the same observers on artificial lines show
that if the canals had breaks amounting to 16 mi. across, such breaks would
be visible. None are; while the lines themselves are thousands of miles long
and perfectly straight (Astrophys. J., Sept. 1907). Between expert observers
representing the planet at the same epoch the accordance is striking;
differences in drawings are differences of time and are due to seasonal and
secular changes in the planet itself. These seasonal changes have been
carefully followed at Flagstaff, and the law governing them detected. They
are found to depend upon the melting of the polar caps. After the melting is
under way the canals next to the cap proceed to darken, and the darkening
thence progresses regularly down the latitudes. Twice this happens every
Martian year, first from one cap and then six Martian months later from the
other. The action reminds one of the quickening of the Nile valley after the
melting of the snows in Abyssinia; only with planet-wide rhythm. Some of the
canals are paired. The phenomenon is peculiar to certain canals, for only
about one-tenth of the whole number, 56 out of 585, ever show double and
these do so regularly. Each double has its special width; this width between
the pair being 400 mi. in some cases, only 75 in others. Careful plotting
has disclosed the fact that the doubles cluster round the planet's equator,
rarely pass 40° Lat., and never occur at the poles, though the planet's
axial tilt reveals all its latitudes to us in turn. They are thus features
of those latitudes where the surface is greatest compared with the area of
the polar cap, which is suggestive. Space precludes mention of many other
equally striking peculiarities of the canals' positioning and development.
At the junctions of the canals are small, dark round spots, which also wax
and wane with the seasons. These facts and a host of others of like
significance have led Lowell to the conclusion that the whole canal system
is of artificial origin, first because of each appearance and secondly
because of the laws governing its development. Every opposition has added to
the assurance that the canals are artificial; both by disclosing their
peculiarities better and better and by removing generic doubts as to the
planet's habitability. The warmer temperature disclosed from Lowell's
investigation on the subject, and the spectrographic detection by Slipher of
water-vapour in the Martian air, are among the latest of these
confirmations." 
Unfortunately, Lowell's descriptions were flawed. Slipher's methods were not
sensitive enough to detect atmospheric water vapor. Contemporary astronomers
Antoniadi and Hale disputed the geometrical patterns that he termed canals,
and few believed them to be waterways. MOLA will provide invaluable data on
surface slopes and drainage patterns. Such patterns, revealed by the Mariner
and Viking spacecraft, are unlike anything described by Lowell. While we do
not expect to find "canals", we are confident that MOLA will be able to
resolve linear features on Mars wider than 130 m and deeper than 1 m. 
Back to MOLA home page <http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html>  




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