Martian canals
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During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was erroneously believed that there were "canals" on the planet Mars. These were a network of long straight lines in the equatorial regions from 60° n
This is a modern ground-based telescope picture of Mars which uses lucky imaging to achieve a near perfect theoretical resolution. However, due to astronomical seeing, it is extremely difficult to see finer details.
Martian canals depicted by Percival Lowell
Percival Lowell
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Percival Lowell was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, and furthered theories of a ninth planet within the Solar Syst
Martian canals
…really irrigation canals made by intelligent beings was first hinted at, and then adopted as the only intelligible explanation, by American astronomer Percival Lowell and a few others. The visible seasonal melting of Mars polar icecaps fueled speculation that an advanced alien race indigenous to Mars built canals to…
Lowell in 1904
The special mission, before departing to the United States. Lowell is seated on the bottom right (1883).
Percival Lowell in 1914, observing Venus in the daytime with the 24-inch (61 cm) Alvan Clark & Sons refracting telescope at Flagstaff, Arizona