EVERYDAY SCIENCE

SCIENCE

EARTH SCIENCE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
In the late 19th century, Giovanni Schiaparelli observed the planet Mars with a telescope. He detected lines across the surface of Mars, which he called"channels". Later observations with better telescopes showed that there are no canals on Mars. How was scientific knowledge of Mars open to change?
A
New evidence could also be interpreted as canals.
B
New evidence showed Martian civilization was possible.
C
New evidence did not support the earlier interpretations of observations.
D
New evidence was insufficient to confirm or deny the earlier observations.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -He had become fascinated with the observations of Mars made by a prominent Italian astronomer, Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli. Schiaparelli claimed to have seen dark lines crossing the surface of Mars, lines which he called canali, or canals.

Detailed explanation-2: -During the planet’s “great opposition” of 1877, he observed a dense network of linear structures on the surface of Mars, which he called canali in Italian, meaning “channels", but the term was mistranslated into English as “canals".

Detailed explanation-3: -He named the Martian “seas” and “continents” (dark and light areas) with names from historic and mythological sources. He saw channels on Mars and called them “canali.” Canali means channels, but it was mistranslated into “canals” implying intelligent life on Mars.

Detailed explanation-4: -canals of Mars, apparent systems of long, straight linear markings on the surface of Mars that are now known to be illusions caused by the chance alignment of craters and other natural surface features seen in telescopes near the limit of resolution.

Detailed explanation-5: -Until the development of the telescope in the early 17th Century, all astronomical observations were made with the naked eye. By using measuring instruments, astronomers recorded the positions of the planets against the background of stars.

There is 1 question to complete.