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Astronomer , first to observe the planet Uranus in 1781, also convinced himself that there were oceans on Mars. got it wrong a century later when he saw channels on the surface of Mars. "Canneli" was mistranslated as "canals", resulting in fervent speculation about Martian life.
A century later American astronomer spent 15 years studying the planet, putting forward the idea that the "canals" were made by intelligent beings. His beliefs are said to have partly inspired his contemporary to write "The War of the Worlds" (1898).
In 1921 reported receiving radio signals from Mars. then stirred panic with his 1938 radio performance of a certain Martian-themed book.
is an albedo feature on Mars that was photographed by the Viking 1 spacecraft from orbit in 1976. Apparently showing a humanoid face, later photos showed this to be an optical illusion. however saw this as evidence of a lost civilisation, publishing a book in 1987 to set out his claims.
After the Mars Global Surveyor satellite mapped the planet from 1997, speculated that he saw widespread vegetation like Banyan trees. provide a paranormal perspective claiming to have seen, using remote viewing techniques, a large covered dome and a waste plume as evidence of life.
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[Guglielmo Marconi][Giovanni Schiaparelli][The Farsight Institute][H G Wells][William Herschel][Percival Lovell][Arthur C Clarke][Orson Welles][Cydonia][Richard Hoagland]
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
Answer:
Herschel was not unique for his time in his speculations about Mars. He worked on double stars, deep sky surveys and with his astronomer sister Caroline (who is known for her comet discoveries). Schiaparelli's theories were more about geological features than structures made by intelligent beings.
Lovell was the first to build an observatory specifically located in a remote and elevated location for optimal viewing conditions. H G Wells was getting a reputation as a science fiction writer by that time but perhaps it took Orson Welles to show how credulous the public were on the subject. The Martian themed book was H G Wells' "War of the Worlds", his sixth of more than fifty novels .
Much speculation is as a result of technology limitations. The Cydonia humanoid face was disproved through better image resolution in later flybys. There are however still people pushing the intelligent life theory - The Farsight Institute, Rhawn G Joseph's Journal of Cosmology, and Richard Hoagland fall into this category.
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