{"id":33485,"date":"2018-08-12T05:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-08-12T09:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=33485"},"modified":"2018-08-09T06:36:19","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T10:36:19","slug":"a-history-of-listening-to-mars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/a-history-of-listening-to-mars\/","title":{"rendered":"A history of listening to Mars"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Source: Atlas Obscura<\/a> via William McFadden)<\/p>\n

When the red planet comes close to Earth, some people have tried to tune in to see if it has anything to say.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ON RECENT EVENINGS, AS JULY has melted into August, Earth\u2019s rocky red companion has dropped by for a visit. Earth and Mars, when they\u2019re on opposite sides of the Sun, can be as many as 250 million miles apart. This week, however, Mars has been just shy of 36 million miles from Earth, the snuggest our planets have been since 2003. Looming bright and orange in the night sky, it has been easily visible to the naked eye. The close-up comes courtesy of opposition\u2014the point at which Mars, Earth, and the Sun align, with us sandwiched in the middle.<\/p>\n

When the planets approached a similarly cozy distance 94 years ago, in August 1924, some people, including Curtis D. Wilbur, the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, thought it might be possible to actually hear messages from our neighbor. If Martians were ever going to drop us a line, they suspected, that\u2019d be the time.<\/p>\n

From an office in Washington, D.C., Wilbur\u2019s department sent orders to every naval station clear across the country. An outpost in Seattle received a telegram asking operators to keep their ears tuned to anything unusual or, maybe, otherworldly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNavy desires [sic] cooperate [sic] astronomers who believe [sic] possible that Mars may attempt communication by radio waves with this planet while they are near together,\u201d it read. \u201cAll shore radio stations will especially note and report any electrical phenomenon [sic] unusual character \u2026\u201d The orders asked for operators to keep the lines open and carefully manned between August 21 and August 24, just in case.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>

NATIONAL ARCHIVES\/596070<\/p><\/div>\n

This request didn\u2019t come out of nowhere. There was a long buildup to the idea that Mars might be trying to tell us something, with technologies that were then new to us.[…]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Click here to read this article at Atlas Obscura.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: Atlas Obscura via William McFadden) When the red planet comes close to Earth, some people have tried to tune in to see if it has anything to say. ON RECENT EVENINGS, AS JULY has melted into August, Earth\u2019s rocky red companion has dropped by for a visit. Earth and Mars, when they\u2019re on opposite […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[6720,5562,581],"class_list":["post-33485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-atlas-obscura","tag-mars","tag-radio-astronomy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-8I5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42136,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/e-skip-on-the-red-planet\/","url_meta":{"origin":33485,"position":0},"title":"Sporadic E on the Red Planet","author":"Thomas","date":"March 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Inverse) Thanks to\u00a0NASA\u2019s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)\u00a0mission to Mars, you may soon never need to fiddle with the tuning dial on a car radio again. When we listen to songs on the radio, the sound travels via radio waves that are given out by a transmitter and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Mars.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Mars.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Mars.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Mars.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41539,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/voa-museum-featured-in-atlas-obscura\/","url_meta":{"origin":33485,"position":1},"title":"VOA Museum featured in Atlas Obscura","author":"Thomas","date":"January 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source Atlas Obscura via Paul Evans W4\/VP9KF) The former Voice of America broadcast site at Bethany Station is now a museum. It covers the history and role of Voice of America, as well as the history of broadcast and radio itself. Tucked into the former equipment bays are row upon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/VOA-Bethany-1-9-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/VOA-Bethany-1-9-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/VOA-Bethany-1-9-1024x678.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33959,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/atlas-obscura-features-kph-maritime-radio-receiving-station\/","url_meta":{"origin":33485,"position":2},"title":"Atlas Obscura features KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station","author":"Thomas","date":"September 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Atlas Obscura via Eric McFadden) One of the most stunning sights of the Bay Area is the historic KPH Radio Station, also known as Marine Coast Station KPH. To reach the station, you must first pass through a clerestory tunnel of cypress trees near the Point Reyes National Seashore.[...]\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1024px-Cypress_Tree_Avenue_at_KPH_Point_Reyes-1024x635.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1024px-Cypress_Tree_Avenue_at_KPH_Point_Reyes-1024x635.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1024px-Cypress_Tree_Avenue_at_KPH_Point_Reyes-1024x635.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29909,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/atlas-obscura-this-weather-report-has-been-making-waves-for-150-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":33485,"position":3},"title":"Atlas Obscura: “This weather report has been making waves for 150 years.”","author":"Thomas","date":"December 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric McFadden (WD8RIF), who notes that the excellent website, Atlas Obscura, recently featured The Shipping Forecast: Why a Maritime Forecast Is So Beloved in the United Kingdom For the penultimate song on their 1994 album Parklife, Blur chose the swirling, meditative epic, \u201cThis Is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/shipping-forecast-ship.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/shipping-forecast-ship.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/shipping-forecast-ship.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/shipping-forecast-ship.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32719,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/skov-notes-possible-role-of-amateur-radio-tech-with-mars-oth-communications\/","url_meta":{"origin":33485,"position":4},"title":"Skov notes possible role of amateur radio tech with Mars OTH communications","author":"Thomas","date":"June 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Southgate ARC) Over-the-horizon communication on Mars ARRL highlights a post by The Space Weather Woman,\u00a0Dr. Tamitha Skov, that notes the role amateur radio technology could play in over-the-horizon radio communications on Mars I am still smiling at the huge response I got to a post I put up on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mars_pathfinder_20_years.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mars_pathfinder_20_years.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mars_pathfinder_20_years.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/mars_pathfinder_20_years.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40334,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/a-radio-museum-in-a-subway\/","url_meta":{"origin":33485,"position":5},"title":"A radio museum…in a subway","author":"Thomas","date":"October 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor,\u00a0Paul Evans, who shares a link from Atlas Obscura featuring the Museo de la Radio in the Parque de los Venados station in Mexico City: Upon entering the Parque de los Venados station of the Mexico City subway system, you may be surprised to find that you\u2019ve\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-24-at-06.36.20.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-24-at-06.36.20.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-24-at-06.36.20.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-24-at-06.36.20.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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