A Martian sundial might well sound as if it has come straight from some H.G. Wells or Jules Verne-inspired steampunk fantasy, but Leeds astronomer and former President of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society Charles Whitmell (1849-1919) did actually once build such a device. Now, over a century later, a similar timepiece is being carried over the surface of Mars by NASA’s Perseverance Rover as it hunts for signs of life on the Red Planet after its landing on 18th February 2021. As we move into our third century, the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society is delighted to be reaching beyond Yorkshire and to the stars.
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