Owen Davies, age 14, of Holstein, Iowa, for his question:

Could the moons of Mars be artificial?

The Martian moons have tantalized human imagination since 1610, more than 250 years before they were finally proved to exist. The most recent flight of fancy occurred during the present generation of astronomers. Certain astronomers suggested that the moons of Mars must be hollow. Naturally, every space ager knows that hollow satellites must be artificial    and imaginations envisioned spy satellites left by visiting superior beings from who knows where. The glamorous theory just may prove to be correct, but this is not likely.

In 1960, the Russian press announced that scientists had reason to believe that the two Martian moons were artificial satellites. American scientists promptly used the properly courteous code for "this is ridiculous"    and cautiously added, "In any case, on what reason do you base this theory?" The Russians, just as promptly, replied, "We based it on the careful figuring you did to estimate the mass of the Martian moons. Since your estimates seem to be correct, then the Mars moons must be hollow. And naturally, hollow satellites must be artificial satellites."

This sensible logic seemed reasonable and for a time many renowned astronomers considered the possibility. After all, astronomers are human and almost every human being would like to believe that we are not utterly alone in the vast universe. In fact, most of them are pretty sure that intelligent life forms do indeed exist on other worlds. But the Martian moons have so far failed to prove it. Instead, our probing spacecraft have indicated that Mars is almost, if not quite, lifeless. Certainly no intelligent Martians launched a couple of satellites in the 1870s.

Naturally, speculation led to detailed probings of our records on the Martian moons. In 1610, the German astronomer Johannes Kepler guessed the two of them were there. In later years, several observers thought they spotted one or both of them   and the Martian moons enhanced science fiction. For example, the Lilliputians of "Gulliver's Travels" studied them through their super spy glasses. Meantime, scientists searched, without success, during the favorable oppositions of Mars in 1862 and 1864.

Finally the moons were verified during the next favorable opportunity in 1877. And, for some pixilated reason nobody was overly surprised. PwIre was little evidence to  suggest that Mars had two little moons, but this is what everybody expected. Most people blamed their small size for the long delayed discovery.

However, some scientists suspected that the Martian moons were two asteroids captured shortly before 1877. But this theory lost ground because of their odd orbits. One asteroid just might fall into a patch around the Martian equator, but not two. In 1878, U.S. Navy astronomers offered a better explanation. There were only three suitable telescopes in 1862 and during the 1864 opposition Mars was too near the horizon to view clearly. This sensible logic tends to cool the glamorous theory that the Mars moons are artificial satellites, launched in the early 1870s.

Naturally, we must examine the fascinating theory from every angle and it's sad that several bits of evidence seem to discredit it. But nobody knows for sure and close up inspection may indeed prove that the strange little Mars moons are hollow, artificial satellites. If so, they must have been put there by beings from beyond our solar system. This is not likely    but the very idea is absolutely breathtaking.

For latest information about Mars moons go to Science News in YouAskAndy main menu and click on NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory