Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-09

NY Tie obedience OF their projectilc to the
ih"s OF planetary motion. which compel,ed
H. on arriving inside the sphere OF the
moons gravitational control, 10 pursue for
ever an elliptical path around the moons
centre OF gravity. which path did not nj
any point lie inside the lunar radius. They
got out OF their difficulty very ingeniously
by attaching Il powerful explosive to the
outside OF the proicctile. and firing it at
SGch moment and in such q way that the
slight impulse which IL impaired TO the
pYojcctile sufliced TO throw Il once more
within the sphere OF the carth's control.
whercupon they then descended 10 their
native planet like a metcorite. and fell.
with their proiectile externally ablaze from
inc heat or aerial friction into the deem
waters OF the Pacific Ocean.
FROM what has been said Il IL evident
that the adventures OF projectile sent
away from the earth with parabolic ye-
locty would be highly dramatic We have
seen that freedom from the earth would
not imply freedom from the sun. The
moon would be dangerous only II it lay
straight In the track so that a head-on COL
iision could not be avoided. Venus could
not arrest IT, for her gravitationai force Is
less than that OF the earth but Jupiter has
force OF gravity about SIG times as great
as the carth's, so that the wanderer would
have to keep we'll away from him IL 1t
were 10 escape the fate OF being captured
ana aided TO his coriese OF satellites
So too Saturn might catch it and throw
1t into the spinning torrents OF meteorites
mat constitute his mi ohty rings
II it escaped all these dangers It would
become an imitation comet. travelling
around the sun in an orbit or greater or
less eccentricity in accordance with cir
cumstances. but it would be a tailless
comet, ana consequently DECEASED to be-
gin with. since 10 have n tail which an.
pears TO be its greatest distinction a comet
must he not single solid body like a pro-
ieciiie but mass OF clasIIing particles
from which. under the influence of the
suns electric forces. streams of luminous
maze are swept OFF to fall into train behind
the rushing head of the comet
IL Wouid. then. perhaps be better to liken
'he prcJertile to meteorite and thus
CONSIDERED it. appears possible that it
might AZ some future time be deprived or
Its hard-won Independence and sent back
like an escaped convict to the earth. This
would be brought about through what as
tronomerS call "perturbaton," which ia
change III the direction and the velocity
Of the motion OF celestial body produced
10y the disturbing attraction Of other bodies
near which ii passes.
Comets are frequently disturbed and
played with IN that way, especially by the
giant planet Jupiter. and there can be no
doubt that ii is owing to gravitational per.
tnrbation that meteorites, after wandering
for ages in space, at last, in hundreds of
cases, are thrown into such directions of
flight that they become entangled in the
net Of the earth's atmosphere and thus
are brought ANONYMOUSLY down from
their celestial courses 10 adorn q museum.
and give professor a subject for
graphic lecture or an intricate calculation.
The similarity Of meteorites 10 our pro-
jectile would become absolute Identical r.
the theory that ages ago they were shot
out OF mighty terrestrial volcanoes could
he established