Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-25
Stars, Men and Atoms
Eorth's 'Neighbors' Seen
Internationally Close
Remnants of Disrupted Planet Found
Flying Within Orbit

Remnants of Disrupted Planet Found
Flying Within Orbit
By Thomas r. Hemry
Earth is finding some unexpectedly and un-
comfortably close neighbors among the host OF
minor planets in the solar systematic flying
mountains" which revolve In orbits around the
sun.
There presumably are hundreds Of thousands
Of them, believed to be remnants Of disrupted
planet which once occupied the gap between
Mars and Jupiter. They are discovered at the
rate Of 80 to 20 year.
As fainter and fainter objects are picked up
some are found which actually come inside the
earths orbit There is the possibility that some
day one of them may collide with this planet,
according to the British scientific journal,
Science Progress.
Meteorites Recalled. :
Such . collision in the distant past, 1t Is
conjectured may be responsible for the famous
meteorite crater in Arizona. A similar collision
may have caused the tremendous smash near
the fishing village of Karkovka on Siberia's
Pacific coast in February 1947, causing more
than 80 craters from so to 80 feet in diameter.
Russian expedition now is. trying to locate
the main body, presumably weighing several
tons.
Such collision would be quite different from
a meteor impact the journal stresses in It's
current review Of astronomy.
The large planetoid Eros, first discovered in
1898. long was considered the nearest celestial
object to the earth except the moon and has
proved valuable in establishing astronomical
distances. Its closest approach Is $4,000, 900
miles.
But Eros lost its distinction, ~ haip
closest planetary neighbor in 1882 when a
smaller and fainter body. Amor, was discovered
only 100000 miles away at its closest ap-
proach. Later in the same year an even smaller
body, Apollo, got within 6500,00o miles It
was found to have an extremely eccentric
orbit.
100000 Miles Away.
These were all comfortably safe distances.
But in 1896 came the discovery of Adonis,
whose nearest approach was a million miles.
The next year the little planetoid Herfnes was
found, only 100000 miles away.
There may be fainter objects, not yet dis
cerned, which come even closer when their
orbits cut across that of the earth.
One of the most important additions to the
asterod family was discovered early this year
at the Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton,
Calf. 1t only came within 5000 900 miles Of
the earth, but it is slow-moving object whose
orbit can be calculated with great precision.
1t is estimated to be about two miles in
diameter and may take the place of Eros as a
light yardstick.
The worlds largest mineral deposit-the 1000
square miles of oil shale lin the Green River
formation of Colorado-will be explored for the
Navy this summer by the United States Bureau
OF Mines.
The Navy has a special interest in this
potential source of enormous fuel supplies for
fighting ships. Private oil companies, in addi-
tion are drilling exploratory holes in their
own adjoining properties.
The Bureau of Mines will sink four holes
with diamond-core drills primarily to determine
the depth Of the formation, potentially one
of the Nations great natural resources
d Shale, the bureau reports, Is found In about
twenty States. The most extensive deposits
are in Colorado, Utah an6 Wyoming, and those
in Western Colorado In general are easier to
exploit, thicker and apparently richer total
of more than $4,000 acres It is stressed in a
entreport, promise to have beds Of suficient
thickness and richness to be of potential eco
nomic Importance
'l5o-Year Supply Seen.
Preliminary drilling indicates that the chief
beds are at least 500 feet thick in the Green
River area and will yield better than a third
Of barrel of oil to the ton. This would amount
to about three hundred million barrels to the
square mile.
There is probably buried here, the Bureau
OF Mines experts say the equivalent of $780,
year supply Of liquid fuels for the United
States at the l947 use rate This assumes that
it is all recoverable which can be determined
only by further drilling.
At present it would be expensive oil, but the
Navy, in particular, is looking with apprehen-
sion on the constant reduction of the liquid
oil resources of the country and setting up a
safeguard against dangerous depletion In the
future.