Evening star., 1949-10-26
New Neptune Moon, 18th
In Solar System, Found
Extremely Small Celestial Body Is
Milionth as LARGE as Planet
Bv Thomas r. Henry

Discovery of 28th moon in the solar
system-a second satellite of Neptune-has
just been announced from the University Of
Chicagos Mcdonald Observatory at Fort
Davis, Tex.
This extremely dim object appears on pho
tographlc plates exposed to the region Of
the second most distant Of the suns planets
early in May by DR.. Gerard P. Kuiper, di-
rector of the observatory. 1t Is an extremely
small celestial body with mass less than
a millionth that of Neptune itself, the third
largest of the planets with about II times
the weight of the earth. It is believed to
be about $50 miles in diameter and would
be invisible to the eye even in the most
powerful telescopes.
Neptune in the past has been credited
with single moon, the relatively gigantic
Triton with about 1000 times the mass Of
the newly found satellite. For the new moon
of Neptune DR.. Kuiper proposes the name
Nereid. The nereids, like the tritons, were
attendants of the sea god Neptune in Greek
mythology.
Presumably the composition of Nereid Is
very similar to that of its parent planet.
The green-shining Neptune. almost two bill
lion miles distant from the earth, has less
than fourth of the earth's density partly
because so much of its mass is composed Of
atmosphere.
Nereid, it is calculated, is about 1000 900
miles from Neptune. around which it moves
in period of about two years. The mass Of
Neptune is such, DR.. Kuiper calculates, that
it can retain moons 10 times as distant
with orbits of so years.
Irregularities in the orbit of Neptune itself
long ago led to the theory that there must
be ninth planet in the solar system much
farther from the sun. This was confirmed
with the discovery of the distant planet
Pluto. 1t does not, however, quite explain
Neptune's eccentricities. Some have con.
tended that there is still tenth planet.
Part of the difficulty would be overcome If
more moons of Neptune could be found.
The staff of the Mcdonald Observatory Is
looking for them.
The moons of the solar system now ara
distributed as follows: Earth, one; Mars,
two; Jupiter. nine: Saturn, nine or ten:
Uranus. four. and Neptune, two
Mercury, Venus and Pluto are moonless,
Largest is the giant moon of Jupiter, Titan.
This is about as big as the planet Mercury.
Recent Investigations indicate that 1t is a
gigantic cake of ice
The most potent antagonist of adrenalin
one OF whose major effects is to raise blood
pressure-has just been announced by a
Swedish physiologist.
According to the announcement of DR..
Ebbe Nyman of the King Gustav Research
institute of Stockholm, writing in Nature.
organ OF the British Association for the Ad.
vancement of Science it completely blocks
the blood-pressure raising effects of 1000
mlcrograms of adrenalin for each kilogram
of body weight
The most potent drug known previously
was less than tenth as effective.
The drug is chloroethyl ammonium hro.
mlde. 1t belongs to family, DR.. Nyman saws.
Whlch f1rst was synthesized in 1880 In Eng
land and whose adrenalin balancing effects
were first discovered in England in 1945, The
present discovery came from long testing Of
all the related compounds. One of its com.
ponents is quite closely related to the
mustard gases.
Adrenalln, one Of the secretions of tina
aorenal gland, is the body's emergency drug.
II raises the blood pressure and quickens the
heart peat IN emergencies and is quick to
respond to the emotions of fear or anger.
II TINS mechanism gets out of order tha
result is naturally a persistent high blood
pressure which may be quite serious.
1here is some possibility, DR.. Nyman saws
OF CLINICAL use of the drug The only use
10 oate however, has been with experi.
mental ANIMALS and a long series of toxicjtv
tests must be made before there can be any
experiments with human beings.