The Washington times., 1894-06-10
What the Lick Telescope Shows of
the Asteroid Ceres.
STRANGE SIGHTS IN THE LENS
Evidence Of Prehistoric Violence When
Planets We're Torn Asunder and the Uni
verse Was Full Of whirring Fragments.
Interesting Conjectures.

eters Of three Of the principal minor planets,
or asteroids. Ceres, Pallas. and vesta and has
found that, contrary to the opinion which has
heretofore prevailed, Ceres Is the largest OF
all these little worlds, its diameter being
about 600 miles. Previous estimates have
made its diameter only zoo or 800 miles.
Ceres is now fairly well situated for obser-
vation, says Garrett P. Serviss in the New
York Sun, being n few degrees southeast of
the star Delta in the back OF the Lion. which
crosses the meridian early in the evening
But even u telescope of considerable power
makes no interesting revelations when turned
towards Ceres for the planet is SO small that
it appears in the field of view only as faint
star. II Is reserved for telescopes OF the first
magnitude to reveal its round, white disk
where no markings indicative OF the presence
of features resembling those Of the earth or
the moon have yet been detected. Prof. Bar
nard remarks that there is nothing in the ap-
pearance Of Ceres or its sister asteroids to
suggest the existence OF any specially dense
or extensive atmospheres surrounding them.
Ceres was the first of the asteroids to be
discovered, and it was found on the first day
of the fourteenth century. Situated in the
midst OF the space that lies between the orbits
of Mars and Jupiter, its mean distance from
the sun is about 2j7. .000. 900 miles.
There is theory according to which SO
| small "a world as Ceres cannot have an at
mosphere, or at least cannot retain one per-
manently. II we suppose the mean density
| OF Ceres to be the same as that OF the earth
then the force of gravity on its surface is less
| than one-thirteenth of its force on the earth
| and any particle moving away from the CEN
| ter of Ceres with velocity OF 2,750 feet in a
second would never stop and never go back.
| But the velocity with which the molecules Of
oxygen and nitrogen vibrate is believed to ex-
ceed 2,750 feet in a second; consequently II
Ceres had an atmosphere Of those gases, the
| outer molecules at the upper surface OF that
atmosphere when their direction Of vibration
carried them away from the center OF the
| planet, would not cease L'oving in that di-
rection, and. me ting no obstacle, would pass
out into space. In the course of time all tine
molecules. upon reaching the surface of the
atmosphere. would escape. and Ceres would
remain stripped of its airy mantle.
! Yet. II wa could manage TO get 70 Ceres
| and find means OF sustaining life upon ii, we
| should perhaps discover how nature deals
with such difficulties when she makes a
world only 500 miles in diameter. Possibly
! from another view point than ours Ceres
would not seem so absurdly little. 1t is not
much smaller in comparison with the earth
| than the earth is in comparison with Jupiter.
What would people on Jupiter think of such
a trifling bit of terraQueous vanity as the
earth?
l have assumed. for the sake OF an easy
calculation, that the mean density of Ceres is
| the same rs that of the earth. but in truth it
is probably much less. All of the planets
that are further from the sun than the earth
| is are less dense than our planet. II the
| whole system was formed from an original
| widely expanded nebula the heaviest materials
would naturally settle toward the center. We
| know that the sun weighs less than the earth,
| bulk for bulk. but the reason Is because the
sun Is still so hot that ali its substance re-
mains in the form OF gas and vapor. When
it becomes solid its density will exceed the
/ earth's. The innermost planet, Mercury. is
| heavier than a globe OF lead OF equal size
| would be- while the outermost planet. Neptune.
weighs about as much as an equal globe OF
water. The progress is by no means regular,
but there can be little doubt that Ceres. sit
uated so FAR from the sun, Is composed OF
comparatively light materials. We should
! not expect to find gold on Ceres. Gold is a
heavy weight and its natural home is Mer-
curry or the SUE. II even seems to have had
| doubts Of the propriety OF stopping at the
earth.
Ceres is the leader OF ring of planets
which Seem TO be absolutely numberless.
Hundreds have been discovered; thousands
are believed to exist. A few years ago, when
astronomers were counting and mapping the
stars with telescope aid Alone they continu-
ally stumbled upon new asteroids; now that
the heavens are being photographed. dozens
of these little worlds previously unknown
leave their luminous tracks upon the sensi-
tive plates exposed to the sky at the observa-
tories.
The old idea that they are fragments OF a
planet which has been blown to pieces was at
one time abandoned, but more recently it has
been revived in a new form. Il has been
pointed out that on the supposition of sin
gle explosion it is impossible to account for
the present distribution OF the asteroids, but
that series of explosions might answer. In
that case the original planet. which may have
equaled Mars in size, must first have been
blown up, and afterward the pieces must
have continued to explode one alter another,
and again and again perhaps, until they were
reduced to their present size According TO
this theory Ceres is simply the largest frag-
ment remaining OF an ancient world that may
have mad an atmosphere and water and other
| things that pertain to a properly regulated
and well-furnshed planet.
Did it have inhabitants also? II we could
go to Ceres, might we pick up among its
shattered and blasted rocks some relic that,
like the bronze knives of Hissarlik or the
ivory carvings OF Dordogne, would tell the
story OF 4 vanished race?
What singular fate for planet-to be
blown to fragmentsi We have been told that
ours shall melt with fersent heat, and as
trcnomy knows several ways in which that
might be brought about. But for u world to
explode and hurl its ODDS and ends broadcast
over the firmament-the modus operandi of
that catastrophe remains to be discovered.
The chief difficulty, however is to account
for the first rupture. Comparatively slight
explosive energy would be required to blow
the fragments themselves to pieces. / have
mentioned that on Ceres velocity of 2, $50
feet in second would be sufficient to enable
a moving particle to escape from the attrac-
ton of tho planet But the vast majority of
the asteroids are almost microscopic in COM
parison even with Ceres Hundreds are prob
ably only five or ten mics in diameter, thou
sands are undoubtedly much smaller still.
Now. on an asterod five miles in diameter,
supposing again for simplicitys sake that its
density equaled the earth's. a velocity of only
twonty-three feet in a second would suffice to
enable Il moving body to escape from the
asteriod.
The musical force of q man would be
enough then to tear such planet to pieces
aud throw It's fragments into separate orbtsi
The motion of the four largest asteroids. in
Guiding Ceres. are such as may be reconciled
with the result OF n single explosion modified
by the disturbing attraction OF the larger
planets. 1t might be supposed then that they.
on account of their size, have suffered no
second disruption, while the smaller frag-
ments produced by the original explosion
have been broken again and again.
Yet the system OF the first great convulsive
ACKNOWLEDGMENT remains. Yes, but mystery
is the soul of discovery.
At Seventeen.
Oh, mirror, ancient mirror,