New-York tribune., 1920-01-01
Hunts Mystery
Planet That Led
Neptune Astray
Professor Pickering Search
ing Heavens for Unknown
Eody Big as Earth, but
Much Farther From Sun
Camera May Prove Trap
Present Time at Island of
Jamaica Is Considered
Best TO Locate Stranger

If there really is another great
planet in the heavens, far beyond the
limits of the solar system as it is
now known, it's discovery may occur
at any moment, according to Harold
Jacoby, Rutherfurd Professor Of As
tronomy at Columbia University. Con-
ditions now are peculiarly favorable
for the discovery.
Professor William II. Pickering. of
the Harvard Astronomical Observa-
tory, is stationed at Vaudeville. ia
maica, making thorough search for
the planet, which is believed to be
about the size of the earth and seventy
times as far from the sun.
Calculations indicate that conditions
which existed Tuesday night offered
an excellent opportunity for making
the discovery. Pro essor Pickering is
striving to locate the new heavenly
body and thereby establish the truth
or his predictions that an unknown
planet has been responsible for the
- - = ~AoA1s WilCEl nave UcCu observed
in the motions of Neptune.
Plans Made for Search
According to Professor Jacoby, Ja-
maica affords an unexcelled location
tor an astronomer searching for the
distant object. No attempt will be
made at Columbia to locate the sup
posed new planet, because of lack of
facilities. A dispatch receiveds yester-
day from San Francisco stated that
astronomers at the observatories at
Mount Wilson and Mount Hamilton
would not search for the planet unless
their assistance is requested by Pro-
fessor Pickering.
Speaking of conditions at Jamaica.
Professor Jacoby last night said: "If
the suspected planet is located now at
the point of the sky predicted by the
favorably seen from a place on the
earth located in the Northern Hemi-
sphere, but within the tropics. To an
observer on the island of Jamaica the
planet, if in it's predicted position,
would be almost directly overhead at
midnight
This is the most favorable position
for discovering a very faint object,
because it's light then traverses the
earth's atmosphere in perpendicular
direction, whereas the light coming
from an object near the horizon comes
through our atmosphere at a much
is seen, we may depend on its being a
very faint and difficult object.
Visibility Like Old Planets
There seems to be an impression
that the new planet. if discovered,
would be first seen on December 80.
This impression is incorrect, how
ever, the discovery may come at any
moment. The visibility of this new
body will be like the old planets.
"'rhc date, December 30, was morcly
the most favorable date for discover
ing the planet, according to Professor
Pickering's calculations. But that date
will be only slightly more favorable
than any neighboring date. The most
favorable date for such planet dis
covery is considered by astronomers
to be the date on which the planet
reaches its highest position in the sky
at midnight. In that case it is possible
to continue the search throughout the
entire night.
"Thc advantage of being able to work
good many hours consecutively is
considerable, especially if clouds or a
haze interrupts the seeing now and
then"
"Just how much time will be devoted
to the attempt to discover the new
planet?" Professor Jacoby was asked
Depend on Photography
THAT depends" he said. when an
object is very faint it must be sought
by means of long exposure photcsra-
phic plates instead of direct eye obser-
vations through the telescope. The eff
feet of the faint light coming from such
q distant planet is cumulative upon a
eye We see about as much at the first
glance as we can ever see. Therefore
We can photograph objects too faint to
be seen with any telescope.
THE discovery photograph of this
planet, if such should ever be made,
might reach an exposure of an hour or
more. SO this amount of time would be
enough TO locate the body if it should
really appear exactly in its predicted
position in the sky This is too much
to hope for. 1t surely will be necessary
to make d number OF photographs COW
ering the region of the sky surround
ing the predicted position.
1T s possible that hundreds Of such
photographs Will De MADE, IN Wnlch
case considerable number of nights
VIII be consumed in the search. Some
cloudy nights will occur and so Il
might happen that All astronomer
would devote two or three months in
the search before giving up hope.
Especially if he had made the eXpedl-
ton to certain place for the express
purpose of finding q favorable latitude
would he be unwilling to return until
there was 10 longer hope of finding the
planet.
But then | must repeat the
planet exists. the discovery may come
very quickly"