New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-03
WHOLE No. 3Ili

cent: rnf the q 0vcry. there'ofc came = ~ 3
ent,f- world WI "a freshness OF asuriisf. s"e
exist rr- thrs, rrcfoos hoSevef-s tnN1-h
they g.. fr.4 r.- .rrvlous obserg siioH-vss
not in the lt.i, t. ..rr n- 0uancal snd acN"'
insiy the tssh u n.. ti. fne cur previous corcep
tons OF "A mechanism nf fr system 81 That "a
rrs shr ~ etter intO &c ~ lu sssenrk cement
present rot merely IN It's observed liscc bui. nY
is nfuences through the Whole ssstsn-~fs
placed before the Astronomers for solution. lniiie
rfsteiv on the discovery Of the existence OF that
orb. Now. this problem evidently concerued-
trsf tie question OF the precise path OF OrsnGs-
the real cure II describes IN Us re, outoa around
the sun: and there are two very essential points
as 20 tbis matter. requiring peculiar notice
The problem itsei. IS this From a Eumter y
o5scrrsi pieces ~ irIans. - deisrnure as e1i1e
pa,h Il Is not necessary to follow shy planet
through its eafrs course in order that we lay down
the path u regularly pursaes. Observation 50 con-
.lete would be reedful only II we had no coucep
ton OF the klai OF path IA Which planet must be
moving. bat, since Ne have thorough knowledge
OF the grand LAW that regulates the movements OF
every orb belonging 10 our system, few ooserys'
tous suffice 20 eusble Us % conclude concerning
anv orb's n,ire habitudes. Tbs should not appear
strange or impossible. Recollecf the discovery OF
those remains OF animals, by CUYiER, who upon
inding a few bones Imbedded IN a mound was
able 20 restore part Of the animal creation that
had been extinct for ages. A bone or tooth OF an
enable the Naturalist 20 determine 10 what class OF
animals it belonged Just il is with the Astronomer
Give him fragment of a planets orbit and
from that fragment he will deduce the planets
path around the Sun. Applause AT the very
outset then. we assume as the groundwork OF our
Theory Of any Planet-and OF course with regard
to ranus-tke integrity Of the Lac Of GrGritdf'0a
az the regions through rkick that planet fa0res-
The problem. on the ground Of that assumption. Is
as follows Reverting to the mode IN which every
planet must move, as formerly represented oy the
diagram it will be seen that the phenomena OF that
motion are divisbe into two parts-Rrst the nor
nal Ellipse, depending the action OF the sun
and second y-the deviations from Il, caused by
the disturbing action Of the Planets The TWO sets
OF phenomena however, although distinct. cannot
be determined apart from each 0thef II being
clear that until we know something OF the normal
elipse We cannot compute the deviatlons as these
depend on the distance OF the Planet from az ne
other bodies affecting il and again so long as we
do not know the amount OF the disturbances, We
cannot fix how much 20 take from or TO add TO- the
observed place in order 10 arrive AZ the normal OF
undisturbed Ellipse. The problem is therefore oy
no means an easy one but when our results DO not
agree with prolonged observation, II 10 always
open to us to try the effect Of an alteration % tee
| normal ENiDse-an alteration, however, within
mts-viz. the possibility of explaining the devla'
| tions from the curve on which We hx oy tne ac-
| ton OF known pe-turbng bodies. The solution II
kuohredge Of The mode Of the action 81 these dist9ro'
| iny bodies This knowledge must be clear and den
| mite or we can reach no solution at all. III any
unknown body. for instance, acts on Uranus, theh
the foregoing principles could never enable us,
| from few observations OF It's place, 10 determine
/ its true path no more than the naturalist couid
arrive at satisfactory results II he were 70 attempt
10 work with the tooth of one animal and the thgh
/ bone of another while supposing them to belong 70
the same animal And therefore the work OF As
tronomers must in every such case involve inns
! other supposton-ti Il nee are dcquc"Hci r"H az
/ he bodies that act on he Planet. Any souton-so
far as we have yet traced its progress-tnus neces
sarily involves three uncertainties, VIZ;
! nl The assumption Of The nHnlodbed acton o.
| GrarifatlOH IN regions 50 rem e from ne SH" az
| Uranus
t2l The assumption that zee hare .fred on th'
| true or normal diipse. -,
I9l The assumption that all he disturbing bodie
are kR0rH 10 ms.
Itcannot be difficult to appfehend that, IN an In
curry like that have described, tho iaciIity .
reaching a conclusion, and the certainty oil reach
ing the lust one must largely increase with the eS
tent OF that part of the orbit through which Uranu
had actually been traced by observation; just rs y
the case of the Naturalist who although he c0Ht'
arrive at correct conclusions with but tOo'h 20 az
him. would be able 20 work much more speedily
at the same time he had a thigh bone OF the ANNA
as well A very few observations, II they were
accurate and il all the disturbing Influences were
known would, in event OF ogr,possesslng adequate
command over Theory enasl lie us to obtain rlgh
knowledge OF the orbit but should any oil 'nes'
conditions fail it is clear that.the greater the mum
her of the planets observed places, the soone
,,onld onr defects be observed and remedled. Now
NJ Reward who after 1920, undertook To iorn
tables of ranus or, in other words 10 deduce tn'
entire orbit OF that Planet from observations mai'
during the forty years that had elapsed since ~
discovery in l7sl, found on due inquiry tnat IL az
been seen at least tiiteen times previous 70 us us
coverv by Hersche and recorded in old catalogue
between 1890 and l77l as a fxed stan, The recor'
Of these postions did not, OF course, deract IN an,
way from the merit of Herscbels discovery whlc
was not that he saw new star, but that the star J
question was Planet but 1t clearly very muc
limited the possibilities Of unrecognized efor
any theory OF the body motions FOR instance
In any circle, one writes down one set Oh dots
represent the places OF the planet between 10
and 200 and another set 10 Indicate those Pace
between 1000 and l71i, II will be resdlly oOsct'e'
how little remains to be inferred, II we take Dot'
sets into account compared with what "ou'd re
main to be inferred, # only one set nad oeen es'Ao
ished by observation; and II was DO wonder tnele
fore that HOWARD welcomed the TACT that th'
nlanet had-unconsciOusy- 50 often seen De
fore On the completion OF ms cacula'ioh No"
ever he met with a most extraordinary ana pu%
cling circumstance The oTth he dedneed H@s J0"''
HusdftSfdctOTHfo etfheT SCI ~ OOStft"eS""s w -
,1ti0n from The older altogether reDadrSd
he. ia other words he found that the very circum
stance which should have enabled him 10 crown al
effort with complete success, was that when iron
some unexpected cause, rendered success imposs
bic. So long as be took lnto account both sets
observations or what is the same thing, so long
he took all available precautions 10 avoid error re
gariog the habitudes Of Uranus-the results oil oil
injuries seemed entirely erroneous; mother word'
thew gave an orbit inconsistent with the iacts o.
which the calculations were based. IL farther ~
reared that if either set Of observations was az
sumed by itself as the basis Of the orbit required
result came out Sufficiently concordant with ina
set. bot wholly discordant with the other set $
that Bouy.RD was obliged 70 conclude that thes
( two classes Of facts were Incompatible and 70
, next point was. what could be the reason oil ina
incompstbility Perhaps no conclusion was
probable at the time as that to which boUVAkl
amid much misgiying. saw il expedent TO come
viz. that the old observations might have been les
, accurate than the modern ones, through IN
| imperfection Of the old Instruments and tina
! therefore, they should in this inquiry be Sc
/ aside. The conclusion was indeed bold on'
had almos. said dtdaci0uss Tor among the Of
, servers on whose authority these old places
> Uranus reposed We iind MAYER and the indastrior
FLAxsrEaD, and, far above all, our incomparabl
4 RRApLyY. nor was the ingenious Frenchman bin