The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-09-06
-Dietz on Science
PLANET PLUTO
NEAR RELATIVE
OF ASTEROIDS
New Theory Grows Out of
Study of Origin of
Solar System.
BY DAVID DIETZ
Scripps Howard Science Editor

to be breaking down in the face OF
recent astronomical discoveries.
These new discoveries, incidental
", may have considerable bearing
upon theories of the origin OF the
solar system and related problems.
Prior to the discovery OF the
planet Pluto and the very recent
discoveries of asteroids OF peculiar
behavior, the distinctions between
planets, asteroids and comets easily
were stated.
The planets, then eight in num-
Der. revolved around the sun IN
orbits which were nearly circular.
The asteroids or little planets,
900 or more in number, revolved IN
orbits a little more fattened IMAM
those of the planets in the gap pc
tween Mars and Jupiter. The comets
we're more cratic objects, moving
in orbits of great eccentrlclty.
Then on March 13, 1880, the
Lowell observatory at Flagstaff,
Ariz. announced the discovery OF
the planet Pluto. The late Pro
lessor Percival Lowell had predicted
the existence of a trans-Neptunlan
planet and had founded the OBJ
servatory at Flagstaff With the
search for the planet as one OF us
major detectives.
First Thought Comet
But Professor Lowell had antlcl-
pated a planet much like Uranus OF
Nent11ne in fact he based his belief
in the planets existence on certain
IRREGULARITIES in the orbit Of Uranus
which such planet would cause. j..
But study of the orbit OF Pluto lea
to a variety of opinions. 1t became
apparent at once that Pluto was not
the sort of planet that Lowell had
anticipated and that it could not
be responsible for the irreguIarltleS
in the orbit of Uranus.
At first, some astronomers even
insisted that it was no planet at all
but a comet or asterold.
II now is generally agreed that
it must be a planet since its size,
though much smaller than that OF
Uranus or Neptune, is somewhere
between that of Mars and the earth.
That is, its diameter is between
1000 and 5000 miles.
It's orbit, however, is much more
like that of an asteroid than that OF
anv of the other planets. The orbit
possesses so great an eccentrlclty
that the planets distance from the
sun varies by 100000 miles.
Orbit Is Inclined
When Pluto is nearest the sun, it
is closer than is Neptune But due
to the fact that Plutos orbit is in
clined at a considerable angle to
the general plane of the orbits OF
the other planets, the orbits OF Nep-
tune and Pluto do not cross each
other
Many astronomers think that
Pluto must be related to the aster-
oids and that it may prove the hrsV
of 6. series of trans-Neptunian plan
cts with asteroid-like qualities.
This would seem to indicate that
any theory to account for the aster-
oids and their behavior must also
take some note of Pluto and the
possibility of other planets ike
Pluto.
The situation with respect to the
asteroids was still further compll-
Gated by the discovery Of the two
newest members of the solar system,
now recognized as asteroids but re-
garded with so much bewilderment
at the time of their discovery that
thew were referred to mySteriously
as objects
Exist in Wide Gap
The two new asteroids are the
"Delporte object" discovered by
Professor Delporte of Brussels, and
the "Reinmuth object" discovered
by Professor Reinmuth of Heidel-
berg.
At first, it was also supposed that
these two objects might be comets.
While astronomers have officially
decided that they are asteroids, they
have also come to the conclusion
that the difference between as
teroids and comets is not so great as
was once believed and that in some
cases it may be possible to regard
an object as either.
The asteroids in general exist
within the gap between Mars and
Jupiter. One, however, crosses with
&c enY0ra1
about as far off as Jupiter, and one
even has an orbit which extends out
to that of Saturn.
The chief mark of the orbits Of
the asteroids in general is their
great irregularity. The orbits are
neither concentric nor evenly
spaced. There are zones or gaps
however, in which no asteroids
occur.
Path Is Nearer Earth
Until the discovery of the two new
asteroids, the one which approached
closest to the earth was Eros, an as
teroid which came within 100000
miles of the earth at certain times.
1t now appears that both the Del
porte object and the Reinmuth OBJ
ject will make closer approaches to
the earth, the Reinmuth object also
being unusual in that one end of its
orbit appears to cross that Of
Venus.
According to present calculations,
the Delporte object may approach
to within 100000 miles Of the
earth, while the Reinmuth object
will approach to within 100000
miles of the earth.