World Has ‘Close Shave’ From Crash

Northern Advocate, 10 January 1938, Page 5

World Has ‘Close Shave’ From Crash

(Received JO a.m.) CAPETOWN, January 8. How the world narrowly missed a major terrestial accident in October is disclosed by the Union astronomer, Dr. H. W. Wood, of Johannesburg Observatory. He explained that when Dr. Reinmuth, an astronomer at the Heidelberg Observatory, photographed a strange body in the skies, he cabled the information to South Africa, where it was also photographed. Apparently the baby planet, probably only a few miles in diameter, on October 25 was moving straight towards the earth. For five days, disaster drew nearer, but nobody cared, as nobody knew that the planet would pass the earth on Octobe'r 30 at the small astronomical distance of 400,000 miles. Nearest to Collision on Record This is the nearest 'the earth has ever been to a collision with another body in the period covered by astronomical observations. This is regarded as a “close shave” by {'he South African astronomer, who added that if the body had struck the earth, it “might somewhat have altered the international situation.” Missed by Hours The South African astronomers are still conferring with their European and American confreres regarding the planet, which has been christened “Reinmuth 1937” in honour of its discoverer. • In a later message, Dr. Wood recalled how he and 30 other astronomers excitedly watched through giant telescopes the approach of the baby planet, which missed the earth by five and a half hours.