The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-11-01

the problem. Such q determination
has been sought by observations of the.
extent to which Encke's comet and 9th
er heavenly bodies deyiate from the
precise orbits in which the attraction of
the sun alone would retain them, in
consequence of this attraction being
partially overcome by the attraction of
the earth or of other planets, the weight
of which would be pfOpOrtionate to the
attractive force thew could exert It
will be remembered that the planet
Neptune was discovered before it was
seen, and discovered simultaneously by
Adams and by LIE Verrier, q. in cOnse-,
quence of the disturbing effect of its aft
traction which caused it to be looked
for in theposition from which this dis
turbance was exereisedsY But foTthe de-
termination of the precise weight Of any
given planet it would be necessary to be
quite certain of all the forces that were
in operation, and this does not seem to
be possible. The method is theoretieal-
IL correct, but the means are wRnEng
for its perfect practical application.
he The latest suggestion, and that of
which DR.. Ball speaks most hopefully.
! isto proceed by the tIelpi of the F1afas.AAl
planets, of which 80 are now known,
/ revolving round the sun between Mars
anu - }k4cafs M kA14TNA 4h4
der favorable conditions, come Within
abotit 10000. 600 lmiles. Of the earth aped
their movements admit being meas
! 4red bgs taking stars as fixed -pQints-
the distances HOf the stars themselves
beingrtoo great, to be productiEe of any
! important error. An observer placed
meat the )e9uator5 81 takes 1.-THE bear
| ings of one of these small planets in the.
evening, as sooniasitG can be distinctly
! seen alter its rising, and again Shortly
| before dawn, has in the meanwhile been
tearFied thousands of milesTby the rota-
tioR ofltheiearfh, and win see a cOnsid-
IeRablesRPpareRt change of the position
Of the planet selected in relation to the
lssiars. This -ciangeis partly due 70 its
own motion, but chiefly to tho pAral-
tactic displacement arising from
rotation of the earth, and the
hcohsequehtf 1displace meRtgofa theT gb1l
server. TherRmount due to each
tot these causes may be ascertained, or
rather that due to the motion of the
planetitSelf may be estimated by care
full and repeated, .fneasuPe4nentss Of its
I place inrelation to the stars r among
which it passes. DIR. Ball names. two
planets, Victoria and Sappho, as lend
ing themselves particularly, to this
method of research, which, has already
been pursued with hopeful results; and
he confidently expects that befOrefthe,
occurrence of the next transit the prob
/ lem of the solar distance will have been
solved, within the thousandth part, by
the aid of the minor planets,i Already
he thinks, the last estimate of r92, 700,
| 600 miles is not likely to be erroneous
to the extent of 300, 700 miies.iF It is
| impossible, of course, TO forecast all the
/ Various ways in which the satisfactory
settlement of this question might con-
+trfbute-tU the solution OF others, but
/. we falaE-atl least, be sure that such7a set
tlemeat, like all forms 81 new Knowi7
kedge win have unexpected applicas
tons 10 research of other kinds. 1lz-.Z55pAz
| don 15n1es.tS @[ g sss1@-ss>