Around 1900, astronomer percival lowell thought he saw what?

Answer 1

You have asked twice.
Good Morning. It was canals. See note:
In 1877 Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, an astronomer at the Milan Observatory in Italy, announced a finding that would have an unexpected though significant impact on astronomy. He announced the observation of "canali" on the surface of Mars.

Though the most accurate translation of "canali" would have been channels, it instead got translated to canals. With the recent completion of the Suez Canal the interpretation was taken that to mean large scale artificial structures had been discovered. In other words, evidence of intelligent life.

Debate raged over the findings with Schiaparelli himself remaining skeptical of claims that these canals were artificial.

The excitement over the canals on Mars took hold of a young man named Percival Lowell who embarked on a distinguished career in astronomy. He was one of the first to realize that the best places for observatories were not in the center of well lit, populated cities, but rather in the barren, isolated deserts and plains or on mountain tops. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Before his death in 1916 he began a search for a ninth planet, beyond Neptune, which he believed to exist based on variations of Neptune's orbit. He was proven right in 1930 with the discovery of Pluto.

In the end, the mistranslation turned out the be a blessing. It prompted studies of all the planets in far more detail than had been done before and helped to fire the curiosity and launch the career of one of astronomy's most distinguished citizens.


Good luck and God Bless you and the Southern People

Answer 2

Canals on Mars.

Using one of the most powerful telescopes of his time, he looked at Mars and thought he could see straight lines which he speculated were canals built by martians to irrigate the planet as it was drying out and becoming a desert.

But any canals he did see would have had to be hundreds of miles wide, and thousands long to be visible.

Even though the canals were figments of his imagination, many over astronomers of the time thought they too could see canals, and there was much speculation as to their origin.

But, when more powerful telescopes were developed, the canals could not be seen and everyone realised that it was a mistake.

Answer 3

Canals

Answer 4

Canalli.

Answer 5

How many times are you going to ask this question?!?! The answer is canals!

Answer 6

canals on Mars

Answer 7

Planet X or Pluto nowadays