Show VERY LITTLE WATER VAPOR V IN N ATMOSPHERE OF MARS Director W Wa W Campbell of Lick L ck Observatory Gives Owes Result of Mount Whitney Trip San Jose Cal Ca Sept 14 Director W W Campbell of Lick observatory who announced several days ago the result of his discoveries regarding i the atmosphere of the planet Mars has just returned from Mount Whit ney the highest point of land in the United States I Mr r Campbell has bU completed a synopsis sis 81 of the data secured by the expedition expedition tion The trip was financed by Wil Wit William William liam H Crocker regent of ot the University sity alty of California Director Campbell in his report says It had for Its Ite purpose a study stull of the question qu of water Avater vapor in the atmos atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere phere of the planet Mars Mar The instruments instruments i ments ment consisted of ot a hori hon horizontal reflecting telescope anti and a suitable spectroscope The observations made on the nights of Sept 1 and 2 were mainly photographic Vater Water vapor In the atmosphere of any planet causes dark bands to be formed at certain definite positions po in th spectrum of that planet bon ous bands band II if the water vapor is dant inconspicuous bands if the quan quanI I is is slight a as this the only method I known is As not a sensitive one une J e I The observer o of Mars Mare must look up through the earths atmosphere and the great quantity of water vapor In our at if It the observer is near sea I level or at an ordinary altitude blots brots out the effect of any Martian vapor mak ing a solution of the problem ble By ascending Mount Whitney alti tude feet the Crocker expedition placed Itself above probably or more of the earths water vapor Further l urther the air all on Mount Whitney was astonishingly clear cle r during the time of ot the observations With barometer 17 inches air temperature 29 degrees Fah and wet wat thermometer 17 de degrees grees students of the will recognize that the observers of Mars Mare were looking through remarkably little terrestrial water vapor Even this small quantity would woud be almost fatal tatal to sut success ce s if It we W lid did not Continued on Page 8 I VERY IVERY LITTLE WATER VAPOR j i IN ATMOSPHERE OF MARS MARSi i Continued from Page 1 j i have a fairly satisfactory method of I j eliminating its Affects as follows I Our moon has no appreciable atmos atmosphere atmosphere phere The lunar and Martian spec spectra s spectra c I tra will wil be affected alike by the water vapor in the earths atmosphere These I spectra are photographed one immedi immediately immediately immediately after aft r the other while the condi condl conditions conditions in our atmosphere remain un unchanged unchanged unchanged changed and with the moon and Mars Marsat at the same me altitude above the horizon so SI that their rays traversed equal paths path pathIn in our atmosphere atmo phere If the vapor bands In lit the Martian spectrum are found to tobe tobe tobe be stronger stranger str than in jn the lunar spectrum Mars has water vapor in considerable I quantities If the bands in the two tw I j spectra are equally strong stron water vapor I on Mars does not exist in sufficient quantities to be detected by b the spectre method I The latter condition was found to ex cx exist exist when hen this thi method was W U applied under the superlatively ly favorable conditions I existing on Mount Whitney Both spec spectra I tra tnt were we photographed when Mars and andI I the moon were near the horizon again I when they lIy were at It medium altitudes and finally when they were 4 J decrees df above the tOO horizon horison The best vapor apor band technically culled called little A was faint in both spectra when the bodies bodice were low lowI fainter when the bodies were higher I and very faint when the bodies bodieR were wet at atI I their highest but for equal altitude the little A bands band in the Martian lunar I spectra were ere equally equall intense plainly I signifying that the observed d bands were i due to water va par in the earths atmos atmosphere phere above the th summit of Mount Whit Whitney Whitney ney ne This does not mean moan that Mars Man has I no water vapor apor hilt bat only that thal the quan quantity quantity I present p nt if It any must mu t be very Ery slight Let us recall that wo WI see Mars Man by re ie reflected reI I tle ted sunlight The rays which l our instruments i s d from the sun suu Into the Martian atmosphere for the most part down to tn the surface urfa of the planet and h out again to us u I thus passing twice twi through the planet I atmosphere and any water r vapor altOl it may mil milI I contain Even with this multiplying on j Mars a the vapor bands band in the Martian and lunar spectra were alike and we conclude that any an water vapor in the Martian atmosphere mu must t have hac been bren brenI j I much less s extensive than was M contained in the ratified and remarkably dry dr air airi i strata abne Mount Whitney bitne j I These observations do not prove prot that life does doo t or cannot exist on M At AtThe The question of If life under lions ions is il the biologist bjon iti problem ther titer I than the th astronomers a S SI I |