The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-31

light of the sun shining from the sur
face OF lit.4e planet-the first known
asteroid. It fulfilled Kepler's prophecy
and seemed, at first sight. to prove Bode-s
law. It was named Ceres Ferdtnandea-
in honor Of the tuteiary goddess and OF
the reigning king OF Sictly-an honor
that later astronomers have taken from
the king and given wholly to the god
dess-and the first fruit OF Its study was
the discovery Of a second member OF the
same family.
In March of the next year. DIR. William
Ooers. al Bremen. discovered. much to his
surprise. FOR no was engaged merely IN
examining the relative positions OF the
strS near Ceres, second asteroid, Pal
las. In 1901 Juno. the third asteroid. waa
discovered; in 1907. vesta; and hers for
the time being. the discoveries rested. The
four little planets were believed to nave
once been part of the same mass and were
therefore taken together. completing the
law of planetary progression. There was
no further discovery until 1Si5. when one
asteroid was added to the list. IN 1S4s.
three more were discovered. Since that
time the use of photography and the iudi>
v.duaf efforts of certain number OF
"asteroid hunters has brought the NUM-
Der to G~er 500 Seven have been found
on a single Photographic plate taken BY
the Harvard Observatory.
The camera, however, and the regular
astronomical observer differ from the rs
teroid hunter in that they study ths
heavens without any desire to find another
OF these little planets. The hunter takes
his telescope and devotes himself TO a
careful examination OF a given portion OF
the sky with tho hope OF finding an aster-
cid not already known to other astrono-
nlers. If he succeeds the new planet Is
eventually given a number III the Der
liner Jahrbuch'' and everything about It
recorded for the benefit OF other OBJ !,
servers. Until recently 1t cost 500 year
to take care OF each asterGid: that Is to /.
say. the time and labor necessary to
keep track OF them amounted to that In.
good dollars Despite this care SEVERAL
hive been lost and Photographic astron-
omy is now trying TO pick them up again.
but the majority of asteroids are so
faIrt that 1t seems likely that some that
are lost have disappeared altogether
Every new asteroid. as has been said. has.
therefore, to be- identified as a new men,
ber OF the family and not an old one turn
ed up again-a matter OF complicated
astronomical mathematics.
vesta. the largest Of the first group of
asteroids, has been estimated by Professor
Pickering of thet Harvard Observatory. to
be about Sl9 milssEin5 diameter. the other
three are perhaps two-thirds as large
The smallest of the legion discovered later
and good sized western farm would con-
tain as much territory as its entire sur
face area. Since the surface attraction, or,
as we call it Familiarity. the force of grav-
ity. on two planets OF the same density is
in proportion to their diameters the irnag-
Iration may picture the distant asteroid
as such a farm and indulge an almost I'M
| limited number of amusing deductions.
| Ina gfne for example. American family
| to have emigrated to this smallest OF the
asteroids. The farmers wife, If she had
weighed 200 pounds in Texas, would
weigh less than five ounces on the surface
| OF the asteroid: the COW that thought.
! lessly jumped fence would leap so high
| In the air that she would not get back TO
pasture in less than half an hour. Such
| speculatiocs. however. are not the pri-
r-ary object of astronomy. although NJ.
| Fla mmarion. the French astronomer.
holds the opinion that these little worlds
arc cery likely peoplsd 5witi, little tnhabi-
tants. d .,rFra.,a a
The best known a ssaroid is Eros. dis
covered at Heidelberg. August 13. 1893
1t differs from every other member OF
its family and from every other known
celestial bouy. % No other celestial body.
with the exception OF Saturn and his
rings. has such distinct individuality.
for Eros is not a sphere but is probably
either shaped like a huge cigar that turns
over and over in space or like an enor-
nous dinner plate that spins on an axis.
first one side up then the other. The
asteroid is constantly changing in bright
ness. the change being so rapid that it
| can be noticed In different parts OF tho
same photograph. Other stars changs
! in brillIancy because of the revolutions
| about them OF other bodies: some celes1
| tial bodies very probably because they
! are darker on one side than the othor-
as is the case. for example. with ono
! Of Saturns outer satellites. But Eros Is
| distinctly different from any OF these.
and the whirling cigar or spinning dinner
| plate theories are the most plausible ex-s
| plantations OF it's condition that have been
/ advanced. Eros. moreover. comes near
err the earth. once every seven years. than
any other known planet. 1t Is then only
100000 miles distant. or less than one
third the distance of the sun. At two
other times during the seven year period
1t approaches near enough to the earth
to be of great Importance in the MATINEE
teal calculations with which astronomy
studies the distance OF the other heav-
emily bodfss-so much so that about 50
observatories here and abroad make spe-
cial observations a that time.
For long time the asteroids were
given names. but in recent years the
practice has been largely given UP, all
though norninally it is not yet abandon-
numbers. like the inmates OF State pri-
son. Eros. for example. being Number
433. The list or names has pretty welt,
exhausted theh list OF classical diviai.
ties. heroes, magtcians. and other cirarc
acters. all more orr less familiar to ths
general reader. Brunhilda, whom wa
have met In German opera, Is number
123, while 202 commentaries Penelope.
the faithful and Ito the famous suitors)
proyokingly Industrious wife of wander
ing Ulysses. Some are named after the
places Of their discovery-Chicago for
example. Cleopatra. Hypatia. Gree, and
Ophella are among the family. and there
are also an Emma. an Alice, and
Bertha But the fact that nobody know.
| them by name. or sees them without
| telescope-save in a few cases-maKes
| the office OF godparent not over exciting
How the asteroids originated rohndy
| knows. nor has any theory been forna-
| lated that is particularly convincing
They existed doubtless millions OF years