Some critical remarks on so-called intra-mercurial planet observations

✍ Scribed by C. H. F. Peters

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1879
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 206 KB
• Volume: 94
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-6337
• DOI: 10.1002/asna.18790942202

✦ Synopsis

Expedition auf der Khiglichen Sternwarte bei K i d Herasqggew: ProG Or. C . A. F. Peters, Mr. 2254.

Some critical remarke on so-called intra-mercurial planet observations. By C. 8. f ' . Petem. (Ychluss.)

Resuming, it is seen that, as far as direct observations go, the grounds in favor of the existence of an intra-mercurial planet are reduced to a very small amount, and that of a very uncertain quality. Against this the uegative standpoint, besides the experience of the last 20 or 30 years, has arguments on hand of a positive weight greater than those alleged observations. There are rules, to which a planet is submitted, certain coiiiitions which such a planet must fulfil;when we see them n o t fulfilled. we must conclude consequently its non-existence. These conditions descend from the laws of brightness and af motion.

A little computatiou shows: if there existed a body equal in mass, or at least equal in surface to Mercury, ~l d flame as a very brilliant star, almost 4 times right as Venus in quadrature, at every total eclipse. ould not have failed being observed long ago also without an eclipse. (Compare in this respect prof.

N e u 7 e 0 m b's reflections and estimates, dating from IS&, brt too little taken notice of, -,,Gould's Ast. JonrnaP 141). This consideration alone should have been icient to reject, as not having reference to intra-mercurial planets, all those observations. where the object is reported as apparently equal or greater than Mercury. Under this head come the tollowing: Dangos, li98 Jan. 18.. . . .diameter 4(~' *) *! T h k follows froni the time c1i;)sed between inner and outer