Transcriber’s Note
The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. Only obvioustypographical errors have been corrected.
Plate XVI is missing from the scanned image files. The reference within the Maps and Plates listhas been preserved.
TO MARS via THE MOON
To Mars via The Moon
AN ASTRONOMICAL STORY
By
MARK WICKS
"It is astronomy which will eventually be the chief educator and
emancipator of the human race."—Sir Edwin Arnold.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED
38 Great Russell Street
1911
Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh
TO
PROFESSOR PERCIVAL LOWELL
A.B., LL.D.
Director of the Observatory at Flagstaff, Arizona
TO WHOSE CAREFUL AND PAINSTAKING RESEARCHES,
EXTENDING OVER MANY YEARS, THE WORLD OWES
SO MUCH OF ITS KNOWLEDGE OF
THE PLANET MARS,
THIS LITTLE BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY
ONE WHO HAS DERIVED INFINITE PLEASURE FROM
THE PERUSAL OF HIS WORKS ON
THE SUBJECT
PREFACE
In the course of my experience as an occasional lecturer during the pasttwelve years, I have been much impressed by the keen interest evinced,even by the most unlettered persons, when astronomical subjects aredealt with in plain untechnical language which they can really grasp andunderstand.
The pertinent questions which have been addressed to me privately bymembers of my audiences have clearly indicated that there is ample scopefor writers in satisfying a widespread desire for fuller and clearerinformation upon such subjects. I have observed that particular interestis taken in the planet Mars and also in the moon, but ordinary personsusually find astronomical text-books too technical and too difficult tomaster; whilst, as regards Mars, the information they contain isgenerally meagre and sometimes not up-to-date.
Scientific readers are already provided for: and it occurred to me thatit would be much mor