Science: Fruitful Mars

The news from Mars—brief as it was−was good. Astronomer E. C. Slipher, of Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Ariz., recently returned from South Africa confident that Mars, which often suffers from drought, has had an unusually fruitful year. At any rate, the markings on Mars, which shrink and grow with the changing Martian seasons and are believed to be due to vegetation, are bigger and more intensely colored this year than any Dr. Slipher has seen in his 50 years of Mars-watching.

Dr. Slipher's visit to the Lamont-Hussey Observatory at Bloemfontein was a kind of dress rehearsal for September 1956, when Mars will...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!