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From: lindley@ut-ngp.UUCP (John L. Templer)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: Canals on Mars?
Message-ID: <1308@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Feb-85 21:00:30 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1308
Posted: Mon Feb 11 21:00:30 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 02:49:00 EST
References: <1137@sunybcs.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U.Texas Physics Department; Austin, Texas
Lines: 35

> From the Associated Press:
> 
> SAN FRANCISCO - Water on Mars vanished after carving the famed canals
> 3 billion years ago, and scientists say . . . . .

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Now the last I heard there were NO canals on Mars; that what
> seemed to be canals were only optical illusions caused by strings of
> craters, and that the truth was discovered with the advent of 
> telescopes of adequate resolution.  What's the truth, astronomers of
> the net? 
> -- 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Michael A. Domino   uucp:[bbncca,decvax,dual,rocksanne,watmath]!sunybcs!acscmad
> SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science                             csnet:acscmad@buffalo 
> arpanet:acscmad.buffalo@csnet-relay                         voice:(716)881-6420
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The canals that Percival Lowell (sp?) and others thought they saw were
indeed optical illusions.  However, there are many features on Mars
best explained by the past pressence of running water.  These include
"river tributary systems" and canyons.  I believe that these are too
small to see from Earth, especialy with the telescopes of Lowell's
time.

It sounds like the AP writer didn't understand the distinction.

-- 

                                           John L. Templer
                                     University of Texas at Austin

    {allegra,gatech,seismo!ut-sally,vortex}!ut-ngp!lindley

                 "and they called it, yuppy love."