EXPLORING MARS

Report repeated from page 616 of the September 1st bulletin, as follows: ""The interested layman is brought up to date on the possibilities of the life and accessibility of Mars, the nearest and most likely of the planets. We speculate on rocket flights there- the author feels that in a few years we could place a small mass on a nearer body, the moon, although the idea of a manned flight to anywhere off the earth must be at least a half century off, doubtless much longer. We speculate on the Martian animals (probably none), vegetables (probably some), temperature (very cold), landscape (monotonous), sunlight (43% of that received by earth). We learn there is a need neither for fire extinguishers nor umbrellas on Mars. The author goes into similar problems and possibilities on the other and lesser known planets. In a popular but unsensational manner Mr. Richardson traces the history of our knowledge of Mars and the other planets, and gives intelligible reasons for his entertaining and cautious speculations.