Talk:Mars Light

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Figure-8 scan pattern

By watching the action of the mechanical linkage of a Mars Light in a video posted to YouTube, it is obvious that the mechanism is producing a Lissajous curve, with a=1 and b=2. Normally, one thinks of oscilloscopes or oscillographs when discussing Lissajous curves, but the Mars Light is an excellent example of a purely mechanical expression of the idea. By adjusting the relative lengths of the linkages, the points where they are attached to the driving gears, and the phasing between the horizontal and vertical axes, it is possible to produce wide variations in the height-to-width relationship of the scan, as well as the height of crossover point of the curve. —Quicksilver^{T @} 22:15, 18 February 2011 (UTC) I know I read somewhere that they are called mars lights because one of the investors was part of the Mars family (as in M&M Mars candy)2600:1700:5DE0:7350:61C9:45AA:AC8:1721 (talk) 13:11, 18 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]