During the years he spent studying Mars and its “system of canals,” the American astronomer, Percival Lowell, popularized the idea of the presence of intelligent life on Mars through newspapers and his books Mars (1895), Mars and its Canals (1906), and Mars as the Abode of Life (1908). Even though his theories were ultimately proven false, Lowell made great contributions to the field of astronomy. The Lowell Observatory he established in Arizona, U.S.A, in 1894 is one among them.
Using the 24-inch refracting telescope installed in his observatory, Lowell observed not only Mars but also Venus. In the later years of his career, he focused his energies on finding Planet X, the imaginary tenth planet in our solar system that was believed to orbit beyond Neptune. Lowell never found his Planet X. But in 1930, nearly three decades after his death, Clyde Tombaugh, an astronomer working at Lowell’s observatory, discovered the dwarf planet, Pluto.
Though unintentional, another major contribution made by Lowell is in the field of literature! His ideas about extra-terrestrial life, aliens on a dying planet struggling to survive, excited the public, and inspired writers of science fiction to craft the bestsellers of those times. H. G. Wells’ 1897 novel, The War of the Worlds, is one such example!
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