The Sun May Aid Us in Signalling Mars

THE SUN MAY AID US IN SIGNALLING MARS. By Prof. Garret P, Serviss. If the men of Mars — the majority of astronomers agree that the planet is probably inhabited — have telescopes comparable with ours, it is perfectly conceivable that they can see the great canals which are under construction on the vast, arid plains of the West. The so-called canals of Mars are at least sixty miles wide. Now, if we build a canal here in the western desert tapping some great lake which can readily be seen from Mars, and from this long canal there radiate many little canals for irrigation, bordering this giant waterway, there will be a long strip of bright green one hundred miles wide. Set in the gray of the desert, this could easily be seen. Then the flashing of the water in the sunshine would make it even more visible.

Very likely, too, should the Martians notice this sudden and remarkable change on the earth's surface, especially if the aspect assumed, even roughly, some geometrical shape, they would naturally suppose we were signalling to them Then it would be not beyond the range of possibility that they might answer back.