The silver star., 1899-01-05
ARE pEEpINo AZ A NEW PLANET
Local Astronomcrs Take Obser rv.tions Of
Herr vita Star.

Local Astronomcrs Take Observations Of
Herr Witts Star.
Luckily Chicago has astronomers of
Its own, who can see as far and a.
accurately into infinite space as can
the astronomers of any other portion
Of the United States or of Europe.
Professor Edward e. Barnard of the
Chicago university and s. w. Burn
ham, once professor, but now clerk
OF the United States district court in
this city, have worldwide renown
as men of science and keenest vision
for peering into the heavens. Being
great discoverers themselves in that
Held. SO soon as Mr.. Witt, the German
astronomer, announced his discovery of
new planet. they began at Geneva
lake search for it, which was not at
first rewarded by sight of it, but by
much persevering they were at last
able to make out the strange object.
The original announcement of this
new discovery was to the effect that
MIR. Witt of the Ilrania observatory,
Berlin, had discovered minor plan
ct with so remarkable an orbit that
astronomers in all parts of the world
would be led to give it earnest atten-
lion. This is already proved to be the
case. as P. Fl. Cowell of Greenwich
observatory, near London, has bestow-
ed much pains in investigating the lat
est discovered planet, and has in
printed statement confirmed the most
that was said about it in Berlin as
economical periodical. In all the
United States there is equal interest.
All the large telescopes have been
pointed to the quarter where Wits
planet was said to be discernible, but
not all those that have used the tele-
scopes have seen the object of their
quest. Mr.. Burnham is home authority
for saying that it is so very small, and
at the same time so very swift, that
1t is almost impossible to see it, and
next to impossible to keep eyes on 1t
when it has been seen. 1t looks like
one of the smallest of stars, and, said
Professor Barnard, may have been OBJ
served before and regarded as star,
its motion not having been noticed
This was the case with far larger plan
cts, as Neptune. for instance. which
was observed enormously as a star
for long period. The new planet re-
wolves round the sun in strongly
elliptical orbit. between the earth and
Mars. in 145 days. 1t is about as near
to the earth as the moon. and is likely
to be of great use in determining the
exact distance of the earth from the
sun. Its discovery was purely acci-
dental. BY photography streak of
light was detected and then it was
known that not star. but a planet,
was in view. 1t seems that when as
tronomers know what 1t is they are
looking for. and about where it is. they
have comparatively little difficulty in
finding 1t. The streak of light, very
short and very faint. that was caught
In the process of photographing, is,
now that 1t is known to be light re-
fected from a planet. easily seen
through to the planet itself. But 1t
moves SO swiftly that in barely two
miutes 1t may be lost sight of behind
the fixed stars. Interesting as this
discovery is. Mr.. Burnham says It is
only one of $50 minor planets that
have been discovered the past ten
years. But this, more than any other.
has an interest of its own, from its
position on the constantly changing
map Of the heavens. so near to our
earth. and also. apparently. so near to
Mars. Every such discovery serves
strongly to stimulate the astronomers,
and In that fact is promise continually
Of other discoveries in the future of
perhaps far greater imnOrtance