New-York tribune., 1898-10-02
A REMARKABLE NEW PLANET.
ONE OF THE ASTEROIDS THAT HAS PECULIAR
ORBIT.
From The London Times.

From The London Times
OF all The different departments OF astronOmi-
cal work minor planet" discovery has seemed
by far the least interesting and profitable There
seemed no end to their numbers-more than one
hundred and fifty having been detected within
the last ten years: they are too small for any
markings to be observed on their surfaces or to
afford fields for delightful speculations as TO
their climates and inhabitants they are just
wandering bowlders. numerous as the peo-
bes on the seashore, and with for the most part
scarcely more individuality TO repay the astron-
omer for the toll of keeping a watch on their
motions and Of computing their orbits. so that
il with "a decided feeling of satisfaction
that most astronomers saw the first half OF the
present year 60 by without single fresh dis
covery.
The last two months however, have each
brought new capture; the first, discovered by
NJ Charlois of the Nice Observatory. on july
16 having no special claims to attention. but
the second, discovered by Herr Witt, of the
Urania Observatory, Berlin, on August H.
seems to have so remarkable an orbit that as
trOnOmers will think the labor spent on the ds-
covery and observation OF the other -FOUR nun,
dred ard thirty or Of these little bodies well
bestowed, since it has led TO the discovery Oh
this one
The chief interest OF minor planet astron-
omy has lain in the suitability Of some OF them
for use in the determination OF the fundamehtal
unit Of astronomy the distance OF the eaith
from the sun. Some Of them come suihceniiy
near the earth every now and then for their
distance to be determined with consideraple
precision And as the relative distances OF the
various planets can easily be ascertained' 10
know the distance accurately Of one is 10 know
the distance Of all.
But the minor planets" as body lie between
the orbits Of Jupiter and Mars. and only one of
two ever come nearer to the sun man inc mean
distance of Mars. The new planet unllke All
its ethren. if the first attempts at the caicu-
lation Of its orbit are 10 be received, mas lts
mean distance from the sun within that OF
Mars and travelling in very eccentric orbit
will approach the earth, when II Is at lts near
est approach to both earth and sun al the sdine
time within fourteen millions OF miles IL VIII
be AT such times our nearest nelghDor IN space
after tine moon herself but such close Oppose
tiOns will only occur about once IN thlry yea';S-
The time of revolution Of the new planet Is oio
days g., -. r,
Like the ether pocket planets. II rs OF very
small size say twenty to twenty-five miles i'll
diameter but on the occasion or "a very ciose
oppostion il will shine as sixth MAGNITUDE
star and therefore be visible 10 the naked eye
Even at its most distant oppositlons II VIII pe
of the eleventh magnitude. five or SIX tines "a
bright that is as most Of the more recently uis
covered minor planets This fact makes II mos,
remarkable that it has not been dlscoNeIeu
earlier and creates the hope that other poules
nearer than Mars may be detected al any
rate il will revive the interest in the seaIch Ioi
small celestial wanderers, OF whlch II Is al pre-
ent by far the most useful and interesting