The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-17
-Dietz on Science
rim OF SPACE
is TRAvERSED
IN ROCKET SHIP
Universe Explorers Reach
Planet Uranus and Turn
HomeWard.
BY DAVID DIETZ
Scripps- Howard Science Editor

emerald, grows brighter ana bright
er in the starry skies ahead of the
rocket ship. We are on the from
tiers of the solar system, approach
ing the sea-green planet, Uranus.
The sun is more than billion
miles behind us. We can see it
from the rear portfolios Of the
rocket ship, but it is not the ma
jestic sun we are accustomed to on
earth. 1t is about one three hun
dredths as bright as from the earth.
and reminds us only of a very bright
arc lamp set among the stars.
We have crossed the orbit of Ju-
piter, largest Of all the planets, the
orbit Of Saturn, the ringed- planet,
and now are approaching the plan
ct Uranus. We see the green planet
ahead, growing larger and larger.
But suddenly we hear the sound
Of a gong throughout the rocket
ship. 1t is the dinner gong. The
chief navigator assures us that we
still are some hours away from the
planet and that there is plenty Of
time for dinner. Accordingly, we
make our way to the dining salon.
Pay Discoverer Tribute
IT thought is appropriate that we
pay honor tonight to Sir William
Herschel, discoverer Of that planet
toward which we are now speeding"
our navigator explains.
AS dinner is completed, we linger
over our coffee and ask our naviga-
tor, who is also world famous as
tronomer, to tell us about Herschel.
Sir William was one of the most
interesting and picturesque figures
in the whole history Of astronomy"
he tells us. He was star gazing
musician, who created worldwide
excitement by discovering the planet
Uranus.
He launched himself upon as
Herculean a task as had ever been
undertaken by proposing to make a
complete survey of the heavens. On
March 13, 1881, he discovered an
object which did not have quite the
appearance of a star.
Thought to Be Comet
He thought at first that he had
found faint and distant comet, but
computations proved it to be a
planet more than twice as far from
the sun as Saturn.
0Tba djcoOvnr,, yoooJa Eorcoho1
famous He was appointed tele-
scope-maker to the king and later
was knighted," we are told
A messenger from the bridge
comes in to tell us that we are ap-
preaching the planet, and so we go
forward to the control room in the
nose of the ship to get a good view
from it's plate glass windows.
-Four moons revolve around
Uranus. They have been named
Ariel, Umbrie, Titania and Oberon.
Titania, largest of the four, has a
diameter of about 1000 miles. The
others are smaller.
Moons Names Poetic
Their names are poetic, recalling
the fantastic stories of fairies and
sprites. Good names, perhaps, for
the satellites of planet which looks
as though it had been nodded from
cake icing.
We spiral around Uranus, study
ing it's four moons All of them are
too small to have atmosphere.
Then we spiral around Uranus. We
do not risk entering the sea-green
cloude, although we would like to
know what gases are in them.
1t is obvious that they must be
gases which liquify at very low tenn
peratures. Ammonia gas, we are
certain, is among them.
Out here in space, 1882, 300, 900
miles from the sun, we reflect upon
the gigantic size of our solar sys-
tenn. Somewhere, still farther from
the sun, lies Neptune. 1t is another
billion miles to the orbit Of Nep-
tune. And a billion miles beyond
Neptune is the orbit Of Pluto.
Start for Home
What lies beyond Pluto? Pick
ering thinks there still are other
planets. Many astronomers, sur
prised by the small size of Pluto,
have thought that it might only be
one of a group resembling asteroids.
Our chief navigator would like to
explore the space beyond Uranus.
We can not blame him, for undying
fame awaits the man who can add
another planet to the solar system.
But we have been travelling through
space for a week. We have had
close view Of the ea-green world
and now we want to return TO our
own earth. And 50 we head for
home
Perhaps some day we shall board
the rocket ship for another jour-
ney into space.