Mars and Its Canals


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.5 stars; 4 reviews)

In the days before telescope photography, astronomers had to draw what they thought they saw through the eyepiece throughout the long dark nights. Sometimes they saw saw more than there really was to see, and a bit over 100 years ago Percival Lowell published books on what he was sure were canals on Mars, signs of intelligent civilization. (In case you too are skeptical, we also have at Librivox a criticism of Lowell's theories in a book published a year later (in 1907) by Alfred Russel Wallace.)
- Summary by ToddHW (10 hr 6 min)

Chapters

Preface 4:40 Read by Larry Wilson
On Exploration 14:48 Read by Adrian Stephens
A Departure-point 13:12 Read by Adrian Stephens
A Bird’s-eye View of Past Martian Discovery 19:47 Read by Adrian Stephens
The Polar Caps 13:45 Read by Adrian Stephens
Behavior of the Polar Caps 20:03 Read by realisticspeakers
Martian Polar Expeditions 31:02 Read by MysticV0ice
White Spots 14:16 Read by Florence
Climate and Weather 26:38 Read by Phil Aldred
Mountains and Cloud 19:35 Read by Micfairy252
The Blue-green Areas 16:56 Read by Anita Sloma-Martinez
Vegetation 14:48 Read by AndrewConnolly
Terraqueousness and Terrestriality 28:05 Read by Florence
The Reddish-ochre Tracts 15:20 Read by SalvorHardin2020
Summary 20:18 Read by EdwardMontes
The Canals 16:22 Read by Michael Knowles
Their System 13:53 Read by Michael Knowles
Gemination of the Canals 18:39 Read by Michael Knowles
The Double Canals, Parts 1 and 2 37:06 Read by Phil Aldred
The Double Canals, Parts 3 and 4 39:53 Read by Adrian Stephens
Canals in the Dark Regions 7:46 Read by ToddHW
Oases 25:22 Read by MysticV0ice
Carets on the Borders of the Great Diaphragm 9:40 Read by Greg Giordano
The Canals Photographed 12:03 Read by Availle
Canals: Kinematic 36:13 Read by realisticspeakers
Canal Development Individually Instanced 10:44 Read by wingyanli0903
Hibernation of the Canals 18:03 Read by Melanie D. Young
Arctic Canals and Polar Rifts 8:19 Read by Greg Giordano
Oases: Kinematic 6:02 Read by EdwardMontes
Constitution of the Canals and Oases 14:18 Read by Michael Knowles
Life 18:50 Read by Michael Knowles
Evidence 10:13 Read by KevinB
The Husbanding of Water 15:43 Read by KevinB
Conclusion 14:14 Read by Larry Wilson

Reviews

Early Astronomers were Explorers


(5 stars)

Amateur astronomers and citizen scientists today will get a lot out of listening to this book. While the science as been debunked, the enthusiasm and willingness to reach for the stars and painstakingly record observations over many years as Mars came closest to earth, to help build up the storehouse of human knowledge, is truly inspirational. This was an unexpectedly enjoyable listen, well written and well read, and thoroughly unique, so I give it 5 stars.