“There is a Lot of Water Vapous in the Atmosphere of Mars” (1888)
8 article in 7 papers, all from the Comptes Rendus, all relating to the possibility of life and water on Mars, and on the canals being either constructed or naturally occurring. All are offered in their weekly issues, extracted from a larger bound volume. 7 issues: $600
Flammarion, Camille. “Les neiges, les glaces et les eaux de la planete Mars” (Snow, Ice and Water of the Planet Mars”) In Comptes Rendus, volume 107, no. 1, 2 July 1888, the paper occupying pp 19-22 in the issue of pp 1-63.
Flamarrion writes in the paper above:
“Cette fusion des taches polaires penilant l'été est en contradiction manifeste avec l'hypothèse que les continents de Mars seraient des champs de glace et que la température de la planète serait inférieure à celle de la Terre. Elle prouve le contraire, si l'on admet que ces neiges et ces eaux soient de même nature que les nôtres, ce qui n'est pas absolument certain, malgré les investigations de l'Analyse spectrale, car la pression amosphérique, les points de fusion et de saturation, la composition chimique de l'atmosphère et des liquides, doivent offrir des différences originaires et permanentes avec ce qui existe sur notre planète.”
Flammarion does state in what looks like no uncertain terms but then qualifies:
“Il y a beaucoup de vapeur d'eau dans l'atmosphère de Mars, ce qui est démontré par les raies d'absorption de son spectre (mais la coloration de la planète n'est pas due à cette cause, puisqu'elle est plus forte au centre du disque,ou il a moins d'épaisseur à traverser que vers les bords).”
This paper is also offered with the following, all from the Comptes Rendus
Perrotin , Charles-Joseph, “Sur le planete Mars”, volume 107, 16 July 1888 no. 3, pp 161-164 in the issue of pp 157-164, with four illustrations of Mars;
_____ .“Sur le planete Mars”, volume 107, 10 September 1888 no. 11, 496-500 in the issue of pp 485-512, with four illustrations of Mars.
_____. “Sur la Planete Mars”, volume 106, 18 June 1888 no. 25, pp 1718-1719 in the issue of pp 1703-1757
- The Charles-Joseph Perrotin contributions in the vol 107 paper are discussed in Flammarion's The Planet Mars: As Translated by Patrick Moore )p 342ff, the drawings made for the paper showing the comings and goings of the canals by periodic “innudations”.
Dubois, M.E. “Sur les satellites de la planete Mars”, volume 107, 20 August 1888, no. 8, pp 437-439 in the issue of pp 429-452;
Poincare, Henri (surprise!) “Sur les satellites de Mars” (referencing the Dubois paper), volume 107, 3 December 1888 no. 23,. 890-892 in the issue of pp 887-934pp.
And with:
Fizeau,“Sur les canaux de la Planete Mars” volume 106, no. 26, 1759-1762 (25 June 1888) the issue of pp 1759-1817). remarks in this effort that the canals can best be explained by geophysical means rather than as creations by intelligent life forms.
Janssen, Jules. “Remarques sur la Communication precedente” (Fizeau, same issue),1762-1764 (mentioning the discovery of water vapour by himself, Huggins, and Vogel in 1867).
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