BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy Mars Myths – Would You Believe Them? *new*

Which famous astronomer kept seeing canals on Mars, even when they couldn't be seen with the world's biggest telescope? What was the tragic outcome of a fictional invasion from Mars? Is NASA hiding evidence of an ancient Martian civilization? Does Mars ever look as big as a full Moon?

Mars Myths – Would You Believe Them

It's August 27th today. And below is a meme from Facebook. If you actually see two moons in the sky, please photograph it and send a copy. WARNING: Don't stay up too late waiting for this to happen! If you didn't see Mars at dawn this morning, you've missed it for today. It rises again tomorrow morning just in time to be washed out by the rising Sun. The Moon will have set by then.

Here is a contemporary news paper account of Percival Lowell, There Is Life on the Planet Mars.

He maintained: “That Mars is inhabited by beings of some sort of other we may consider as certain as it is uncertain what those beings may be.” The public was persuaded, but not other astronomers.

These are Lowell's drawings of the Martian canals. I'm tempted to add them to the "Heavenly Art" pictures, as they remind me a lot of Joan Miró's work. (I wonder if he was inspired by Lowell? )