BUSY YEAR FOR ASTRONOMERS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 8, 24 February 1909, Page 45

BUSY YEAR FOR ASTRONOMERS.

WHY THE HEAVENS ARE OF SPECIAL INTEREST IN P.HW. A diagram picture drawn in perspective, showing the chief objects of special interest in the heavens this year. All over the world astronomers will be endeavouring to locate by photography the new planet which has been mathematically demonstrated to be beyond Neptune. Then also observers at Greenwich and Heidelberg are displaying keen rivalry fir the honour of announcing the rediscovery of Halley’s famous comet, which is approaching us at the rate of over 500 miles a minute. Its probable position now is indicated. It will doubtless be visible in October, though the announcement of rediscovery by the camera may come before that date.

A NEW PLANET. News of the existence of a new major planet, situated -beyond Neptune, has been announced on the authority of photographic evidence by Professor Pickering, of Harvard College Observatory, U.S.A. If the results obtained at Harvard are confirmed, Professor Pickering's discovery will be regarded as a memorable achievement for the year just begun. The last two major planets, Uranus and Neptune, were discovered in 1781 and 1846 respectively. Neptune was

hitherto regarded as the outermost major planet of the solar system, and its diameter is about four times that of the earth. It is accompanied by a single satellite. British astronomers have not been unprepared for the discovery of a great planet even beyond Neptune. For many years past various phenomena have been observed which could be explained by known facts, and many workers have been making calculations for determining the disturbing factor, which was surmised to be n planet of considerable size beyond Neptune.

Professor George Forbes, F.R.S., has at various times calculated that the movements of a certain group of comet? which visited the solar system in 1843. 1880, and 1882 were influenced by some body about one hundred times more distant from the sun than the earth is, and with a year equal to one thousand of our years. The new planet is said to be at present in the constellation Gemini (th* twins), which, curiously enough, is tho same constellation in which William Ueracbel discovered the planet Uranus.