Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-03-27
LIE VERRlER'S PLANET.
FROM THE BOSTON DAILY ADyE

FROM THE BOSTON DAILY ADVERTISER.
We have been favored with the following extracts from
Professor BENJAMIN PIERCE Harvard Unver-
y, containing abstract Of the paper the subject of lie
Verers Planet, which ne read few evenings before
the American Academy. 1t will be that Mr. Pierce is
convinced that the body observed does satisfy the prob
lem of the pertubaions of Herschel which
lie Veer sought it, and that its orbit observed is different
from that predicted: ..~..
s.. Ertract from a letter from Professor Pierce
From the careful examination Of the observations which
have been made upon heptune?) am firmly convinced that
tits the planet Of lie Verres Adamss theory, and that
not predicted by anays that its discovery be
regarded happy accident The distance OF the planet
nearly represented by the number thirty that is ii
just about thirty times the earth distance from the
This distance early deduced from observation by the
putations OF Adams HIMSELF and recently established by
the very and thorough Investigations of Mr. Sears c.
" alker This of such fundamental importance that
although there seemed To remain reasonable doubt of
accuracy, have been satisfied without verifying my self
and Mr. GeorgeP Bondhas also determined it. independently
from the Cambridge observations alone and moreover
confirmed by the orbit which has been published from the
tnguished authority of NJ Vaz From this distance
bned with the observed angular velocity easy deducs
the rbR portion of the planets motion, that the portion
which perpendicular to the line drawn to the planet Mr.
Walker finds of the be precisely
that which the planet would have moving at the dis
30 in circular orbit and his results this respect
also verified by myself well rs Mr.. Bond and NJ Vaz
These facts however sufficient establish the propo
snn that the orbit is circular that il nearly So and the
only additional argument which can be found conclu
is that derived from the analogy of the other planets
This argument which is urged by Mr. Walker, be ad
med To be of considerable weights but if the planet is
must be- in the of the circular orbit the first
late another empirical law observed by all the other planets
VIZ the law known Bodies law Of the distances why
may also be variance with the law Of eccentrcy,
which has already been broken by Mercury and Of the
smaller planets independently, however, Of this reasoning,
and without any assumption with regard to the eccency Of
the orbit, have undertaken prove my with
of this planet with the predictions Of analysis The fol-
lowing propositions distinctly lie Verriers
moir, essential and fundamental in his theory.
LIST. That the planets distance from the cannot
be less than 35, than 1873 or which is the
thing, its time of revolution be less than 207 years.
than 233 years.
Cd. That the planets longitude LIST January,
s00 could have been less than 243 than 252e
Now find that, while either OF these propositions by it
self opposed to the observations which have been made
and the legitimate and nerences from them the
combined decidedly inconsistent with
Thus any orbit which satisfies observed distance and
ton, and also subject either of these propositions
satisfy the other. II, for instance distance and time
of revolution adopted consistent with the first proposition
then the corresponding longitude in 1900 must have
been least 400 distant from the limits of the second popo-
ion and, again. if the planet is assumed have had
1900 longitude within the limits of the second pro-
position, the corresponding time OF revolution with which its
motions will satisfy the present observations could exceed
20 years. that il fall about forty years short Of the
limits of the first proposition This planet not therefore,
the planet of LIE Vcers theory, it for the
observed irregularities Of motion Of the planet Uranus in the
way proposed by LIE yerier. may safely go further and
that the of the effect of this planet upon
Uranus is not the researches of either lie Vere
Adams, and this interesting field Of inquiry yet be
plored.
In my remarks the Academy, indicated the probability
that the motion OF the planet about half
OF that of Uranus, and that this fact the possibility OF which
not suspected by the previous theorists, might lead
solution Of the problem Of the peJurtaons of IRA
nus. With such motion, some OF the irregularities
Of motion will become extraordinarily large, OF which has
short period OF that Of the revolution Of Uranus
and the other very long period of several hundred thousands
Of years.
would not have you suppose that disposed to contest
the least the greatness Of lie Neners genius have
died his writings with infinite delight and ready unite
with the whole world doing homage him as the first geom
Ter Of the age and as the founder of wholly depart
nent Of invisible astronomy.