2 0 0 4 A n a m i d z u
Mars/Lowell Conference
Message from Tom DOBBINS
Thomas
A DOBBINS
Howard, Ohio, USA
21 April 2004
Dear Masatsugu:
I am certain that you and your
colleagues will enjoy Bill SHEEHAN's visit and that
his presence will contribute greatly to the
Lowell Conference. I envy Bill in
many respects, not in the least his opportunity to visit the home of the late
Tsuneo SAHEKI. Your generosity as host is very commendable.
Per your request, I have
written a three paragraphs repeating Kuiper's remarks
about Lowell
and expressing my own view of the man:
LOWELL was vilified by many of his
contemporaries and subjected to much ridicule by
subsequent generations of astronomers. Gérard KUIPER,
one of the few professional astronomers in the United States who chose to
specialize in planetary research during the years immediately following the
Second World War, charged that the canal controversy that Lowell had played such a prominent role in
perpetuating had “brought disrepute to
planetary science and weakened its status in universities.” One result of
the tarnished reputation of the discipline, Kuiper
noted, was that many observatories followed a tacit rule that planetary work
could occupy no more than 10% of telescope time.
KUIPER's harsh
appraisal of Lowell
must be moderated by the undeniable fact that the vision of Mars that Lowell described in some
of the most eloquent prose ever written about any astronomical subject matter
had an enduring - and very beneficial - effect on the amateur astronomical
community. Vestiges of the Mars that Lowell
conjured up lingered well into the 1960s, both in the popular and in the
scientific imagination, and served as a source of inspiration to three
generations of amateur planetary observers. I can vividly recall the late Chick
CAPEN telling me that following Mariner 4's images of a very bleak, Moonlike
Martian landscape in 1965, the number of observer's contributing to the ALPO
Mars Section abruptly fell by two-thirds. Once shorn of cherished illusions,
the subject matter suddenly became unappealing for many.
The history of
exploration and discovery contains many examples of illusions resulting in
heroic efforts, and in some cases bringing great rewards. At the end of the day,
I will always associate Percival Lowell with the notion that the scientific
enterprise is a personal adventure.
I await the news of Bill's
visit with great anticipation.
With my warmest regards and
good wishes,
Tom
DOBBINS
Co-Author of “Observing and Photographing the Solar System” (with
Don PARKER and the late Chick CAPEN, 1988), “Epic Moon, A history of lunar
exploration in the age of the telescope” (with Bill SHEEHAN, 2001) and others.
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