Percival Lowell, American Astronomer

Percival Lowell, American Astronomer

Lowell portrait, 1904. Percival Lawrence Lowell (March 13, 1855 - November 12, 1916) was a businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death. The choice of the name Pluto and its symbol were partly influenced by his initials PL. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1892. Beginning in the winter of 1893-94, using his wealth and influence, Lowell dedicated himself to the study of astronomy. For fifteen years Lowell studied Mars extensively, and made intricate drawings of the surface markings as he perceived them. Lowell published his views in three books: Mars (1895), Mars and Its Canals (1906), and Mars As the Abode of Life (1908). With these writings, Lowell more than anyone else popularized the long-held belief that these markings showed that Mars sustained intelligent life forms. World War I very much saddened Lowell, a dedicated pacifist. He died of a stroke at the age of 61.

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