The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1902-01-24
NUMBER 50.

vi Tic tcIeSCOpc ana no argument ~
the nature is likely to be used against
Prof. George Forbes hypothesis OF
the existence OF an unseen planet be-
yond the orbit OF Neptune, and separ.
ated from the sun by more than three
times the distance OF that planet, at
present believed to be the outpost OF
the solar system. Prof. Forbes, who
has maintained the probability OF
such planet for at least twenty
years has lately brought forward some
new and stronger arguments in favor
OF It's existence, and IN paper read
to the Royal Society of Edinburg
went SO far as to point out its proba.
BILE situation. We hope that some
search will be duly made for it and
that the singular apathy with which
Adams famous discovery OF Neptune
was received by the heads OF English
Observat0ries will not be repeated.
SYSTEM IS PERFECT.
1t isa truly amazing thing that
astronomers should now possess a
method OF Investigation which enables
them to detect planet by far reach.
ing mathematical analysis, long be.
fore the most powerful telescope has
distinguished 1t from fixed star.
Prof. Forbes planet may or may not
exist in reality, but the possibility OF
its discovery being made by such a
method as he has used was definitely
established by the discovery Of Nep-
une, tUp to the middle Of the last
century such additions as had been
made to the Copernical solar system
had bcen solely due to the increased
power OF telescopes and the diligence
OF their users. First the satellites of
already known planets were discover.
ed. Then came in 1871 the discovery
0f a new planet, Uranus, the first that
had been added tn the number OF
actual planets since the history OF
astronomy began. 1t was due to Her.
schel's sheer perseverance-am0unt.
ing almost to genius-in watching
the sky. On the first day OF the nine.
teenth century Piazzi by similar per.
severance and good fortune discovered
the first Of the "small planets" or
asteroids, OF which we now know that
at least 500 girdle the sun between
the orbits Of Mars and Jupiter and
probably extend even beyond these
limits, as Shelley fOresaw with the
poets inspiration when he spoke of
''rhosc mysterious stars
Which hide themselves between the
Earth and Mars"
WHEN NEPTUNE. WAS FIRST SEEN.
| But the discovery OF Neptune in
lS46 marked new epoch. Adams, of
Cambridge, and Leverrier, OF Paris,
Independently worked out Il problem
so difficult that no one had ventured
to tackle il, and so gave the most con.
vincing proof Of Newt0n's great law
Of universal gravitation that could be
imagined. Uranus, the outermost OF
the planets then known, had been
"going wrong for years. His place,
as shown by the telescope, was slight
ly different from that which calcula.
tion had predicted that lie would oc.
cupy and The discrepancy was ihcreas.
ing 1t was a very tiny difference,
far too small for the naked eye to
detect, even II there had been a
. second Uranus holding the calculated
position, but 1t was very important,
. every disturbing influence had been
! taken into account-for, Of course the
4 planets attract one another just as
: the sun attracts them, and so they
= are always more or less 'perturbed''
|. from the orbits which they would de-
!. scribe II only the sun had to be con.
:, sidercd. Adams and Leverrier, 10
!. entire ignorance OF one auother's
: = work, simultaneously set out to dis.
cover whether the unexplained dis
!" crepancy between Uranus real place
: : and that predicted for him could be
- - due to purturbations caused BY an
~ unknown planet further from the sun,
> and II so whether they could discover
the true position OF this planet n.y.
calculation alone.
II MT. PLEASANT items.