Mars and Its Canals

Percival LowellProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 520K words
Chapters: 52

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Mars and Its Canals by Percival LowellAuthor: Lowell, Percival, 1855-1916,Language: English, Class: QB: Science: Astronomy, Release Date: Oct 1, 2014

Editor's review

Mars and Its Canals is astronomer Percival Lowell's representative work on the "canal" hypothesis of the Martian surface, presenting his observations and inferences about Mars from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The book develops its argument through observational records and reasoning, reflecting the research methods and imaginative limits of planetary astronomy at the time. As a document in the history of science, its value lies not in whether its conclusions were correct, but in showing readers how a theory that once widely shaped public imagination was constructed, expressed, and disseminated. Reading it illuminates the historical limitations of scientific hypotheses and shows how an observer inferred a whole picture from limited data. For astronomy enthusiasts, it is engaging material for understanding the history of Mars observation; for researchers in the history and communication of science, it offers a text for analyzing the interaction between scientific argument and public imagination. Read it with a critical eye, comparing the author's inferences with later probe results, to better appreciate how scientific knowledge evolves.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of Mars observation and planetary astronomy
History-of-science readers studying the spread of scientific hypotheses and public imagination
Enthusiasts who enjoy reading classic astronomy works and comparing them with modern findings
Teachers and writers seeking case studies in the history of science for teaching or writing

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking the latest conclusions of modern Mars exploration
Beginners expecting an accessible introductory astronomy guide
Pure literature readers with no interest in historical scientific hypotheses

Reading tips

Before reading, learn the basic background and controversies of Mars observation in Lowell's era.
Compare the book's inferences with modern Mars exploration findings and keep a notesheet of differences.
Focus on how the author derives a whole theory from observational details, rather than merely memorizing conclusions.
Read alongside history-of-science materials to understand why the "canal" hypothesis once became popular.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the Mars canal hypothesis in this book still accepted?

It is not accepted by modern science. The Mars canal hypothesis was mainly popular from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century; later observations and probe data showed that no such intelligent engineering exists on the Martian surface. The book's value lies in the history and communication of science, not in providing currently correct knowledge about Mars.

What can ordinary astronomy enthusiasts gain from reading this book?

They can learn about the methods and limits of early Mars observation and see how a scientific hypothesis grows from limited observation. Reading the book's inferences alongside modern probe results makes it easier to understand how scientific knowledge is corrected and advanced.

Does this book require an astronomy background to understand?

No specialized astronomy background is needed. The book was written for general readers of its time, mainly in an expository style. Basic astronomical knowledge makes reading smoother; without it, the book can still be read as a history-of-science text, focusing on the argument and the historical context.

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About the author

Percival Lowell Author · American · 1855–1916

Percival Lowell (1855–1916) was an American astronomer, writer, and mathematician born into a prominent Boston family. During the 1880s he lived in the Far East, and he later wrote works on Eastern subjects, including The Soul of the Far East and Noto. In 1894 he founded Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. He observed Mars over many years and staunchly promoted the theory of Martian canals; he also calculated that a "Planet X" should exist beyond Neptune, and the search for it eventually led to the discovery of Pluto in 1930. He died in Flagstaff in 1916. Three of his works are held in this collection, including Mars and Its Canals alongside the Eastern-themed books mentioned above.