Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ut-ngp.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!mordor!ut-sally!ut-ngp!lindley 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."