Evening star., 1924-09-14

JAMES ROBERTSON.
fifth satellite of Jupiter 1t may mean
nothing. 1t may contain the element
of some great, undiscovered mathe-
matical law that would have a very
great effect on the world indeed. As
tronomers, observing and figuring on
things that have no effect on daily
life, have made possible the discov-
cry of the laws of mathematics we
have today. 1t was by pursuing ap-
parently aimless paths in astronomy
that Newton discovered the law of
gravity on which SO much of mod
ern science is founded. 1t was by the
same methods that Einstein's law was
discovered.
Much to He Discovered.
There are many formulas yet to be
discovered My exact reasoning from
observations may be valuable in estab-
fishing some of them. 1t remains to
be seen. Take the problem Of the
Is no exact formula-and as a result
nobody knows exactly where he is
within a few inches at least Our
only absolute guides to location are
IT," sun and the stars. If We don't
know exactly how much their light
is bent on entering various densities
of atmosphere then we don't know
exactly where we are. OF course, we
can tell nearly enough for all practi-
cal purposes-but-"
The reporter went up to the Naval
Observatory to get a story on the fifth
satellite of Jupiter.
TT will be a rather hard thing to
make people understand, I'm afraid"
said Mr.. Robertson.
That's a problem in itself" an
swered the reporter. ''Ill try and write
an interesting story and ring in a
word or so about it somewhere. Sup
Jupiter itself. The plantes are al
ways interesting and stir the imag-
nation"
Largest Of the Planets.
So to the original assignment.
Jupiter is the largest of the planets
1t is SS,697 miles in diameter COM
pared to the 7.s27-mile diameter OF
the earth. 1t apparently is in mol
ten or gaseous state. At least its
outer coat is gas, containing all of
the elements that exist on the earth.
There may be a solid mass under
meath.
Jupiter, it is needless to say, isn't
inhabited. 1t is very hot there. If,
however. it were solid and were in
habited, its Inhabitants would have
to be very strong creatures indeed
On the moon most any of US human
weaklings could jump 80 feet with
ease. On Jupiter we couldn't lift a
foot off the ground.
Jupiter has nine moons. One Of
them is only 100000 miles from the
center of the planet. Others of them
are millions of miles away. Some
of these are as large as our moon.
Unlike Jupiter itself, they probably
are solid.
'1s there any possibility that some
of these moons may be inhabited?"
the reporter asked Mr.. Robertson.
That's the sort of question that
gets the average scientist mad. Not
so Robertson.
Not Foe to Imagination.
Possibly" he smiled. There is
no reason why the imagination
shouldn't run wild in astronomy"
In case anybody should be interest
ed, the first four of these moons are
10. Europe. Ganymede and Callisto
The others haven't been named. The
will venture to make a press |
decision. as they said Of the Wills |
Firpo fight, and semi officially name
the fifth one Robertson. That's about |
the greatest honor that could come
to any maintaining a world named |
after him. |
Now the boob of a reporter who |
had this assignment has tried to |
cover his shortcomings by writing |
a human story-it's the easiest way
out of a difficult situation. But on |
such a story there's always apt to |
be MISUNDERSTANDING.
Rates Astronsner at TOP.
e To clear up any such in the present |
case the reporter will state right here
that he probably would have written |
much the same sort Of story IL sent |
to interview Sir Isaac Newton on the |
original discovery of the law of |
gravity. And to make his case still |
clearer, the reporter would also state |
that, in all seriousness, after leaving
that twilight library at the Naval |
he was certain that he |
had been talking for two hours with !
one of the greatest men in the world |
"a man with a greatness as infinste |
as one of his own planets. ..
Last but not least, Robertson is the |
worlds official calculator of eclipses.
Years in advance he determines to an
these will happen ana where they
can best be observed. His work is |
so exact that nobody else bothers
about it. Astronomers Of the great
observatories of America and Eurone
take his word and transport delicate
thousands of miles on
no other authority.