Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-07
FINDING A PLANET
The Discovery of Neptune and a
Curious Coincidence.

Inc discovery Of the planet Neptune
that mighty world swinging In the
great deeps of space nearly 100000
600 miles away from our own earth
was the cause of q singular controver-
sy between two great astronomers,
one English. the other French This
controversy ragged for years in jour
mails. papers. books and IN learned So
cieties. Here are the facts:
The distant planet Uranus had been
discovered by Sir John Herschel on
March 13 1881 II is Isl 5000
miles from the sun.
When new planet or comet is dis
covered mathematicians of the highest
rank at once compute its orbit or path
in space and publish its ephemeris.
giving its exact position for the future.
A number OF astronomers made
ephemerides for Uranus; but. unlike
the other planets. ii kept running Of
the track" always out a little further
than computed Again astronomers
soon made new and accurate as pos
sible tables. vet Uranus would not
obey. Then they all knew that there
was a world far and away beyond that
by its attraction made the disturbance.
None was free TO begin the gigantic
work OF computing where II was, in
what direction. its distance and its
orbit
John Couch Adams, young mathe-
matcian in Cambridge. England. at
tackled this problem. the greatest yet
undertaken by the human mind Ad-
ans was aged twentyfour years when
he began the memorable research. This
was In 1913
The laborS of Hercules were SurpaSS-
ed by this intellectual giant. and in
September. 1S45. he sent his results 10
the Greenwich observatory But they
were not published TO the world In
October he called AT the observatory
and left another paper giving full eie-
ments OF the planet And the aStron-
omers Of England did not search for
the new world with their telescopes.
But meanwhile the great French as
tronomer. [. J. J. lie Nerrier. older by
/ severa! years than Adams. began a so
luton Of the huge problem. he pub
lished his part one OF researches on
Nov. 10. 1913. and part two June l. 1916
Adams and lie Verrier were not aware
Of their mutual lahors
On Sent lie VPrrier in France. not
having telescope. wrote 10 DR.. Gale
in Berlin to look for the new planet
This letter was received in Berlin on
Sept 23. 1876 When night came on
Dir. Gale turned the telescope al the
designated point in space. anG soon the
eye Of man saw the hitherto unknown
world ri the mighty distance of 2.1S9.-
S31 OO0 miles from the sun. making
one circuit IN about 1863 of our years
The apparent angular diameter OF
the moon and SIN is very nearly half
Of one degree. but Neptune was dis
covered within one degree OF the com.
puted position. or the average of both
OF these i)luSrrious mathematiciaus
The solution OF this capital problem
has ever been cons dered the highest
achievement OF pure mathematical as,
trouomy At once controversy began
between France and England for non
ors II was tnaIly settled that both
men We're worthy OF equal praise and
exalted honOrS 80 long ~ men shall in
, habit the earth
II may he OF interest TO the reader
: it was to mc-to say that heard the
venerable and aged Professor Adams
read u very abstruSP mathefna ticai pa
per in Philadelphia In the year 1881
] before Section A OF the American AS
2 so-iatiOa For the Advancement Of Sci
euce Every astronomer IN the room
gave close aud res neCtful attention. -
> Edgar Lucten Larkin in New YorE
American