Nature . ultimately establish the true elements. Theseelements, however, will not deviate very much from thosegiven below. Epoch 1S98, August 31-5, Berlin Mean Time. Mean anomaly ... ... 220 14 37 Perihelion distance from ascending node ... 17S 28 262Longitude of ascending node 303 48 53-0 Inclination of orbit to that of the earth ... 11 6 57iEccentricity ... ... 13 13 38 Mean daily movement, 20iol3l Period of revolution round the sun, 645 days. Taking the mean distance of the earth from the sunas unity, the new planet at perihelion approaches the sunto within fl2 of these units, and when furt
Nature . ultimately establish the true elements. Theseelements, however, will not deviate very much from thosegiven below. Epoch 1S98, August 31-5, Berlin Mean Time. Mean anomaly ... ... 220 14 37 Perihelion distance from ascending node ... 17S 28 262Longitude of ascending node 303 48 53-0 Inclination of orbit to that of the earth ... 11 6 57iEccentricity ... ... 13 13 38 Mean daily movement, 20iol3l Period of revolution round the sun, 645 days. Taking the mean distance of the earth from the sunas unity, the new planet at perihelion approaches the sunto within fl2 of these units, and when furthest awayis distant 179 of these units. These values in the caseof Mars are r38 and r67 respectively. We thus seethat we can now no longer look upon Mars as our nearestneighbour (excepting, of course, our moon), for the meandistance of Mars from the sun amounts to I52, whilethat of the new planet is v\b. The accompanying diagram (Fig. 2) shows the relationof the new planets orbit relative to that of Fig 2,—Comparison of orbits of M planet D Q. Assuming that Berberichs elements are correct, it isinteresting to inquire into some of the relations whichthis orbit presents. Mr. Crommelin, to whom we areindebted for the above diagram, has considered suchrelations in his article in The Obserzatory (October, ). A synodic period being two successive conjunctionswith the sun as seen from the earth, this in the case ofthe new planet is 2-3o692 years. We thus see that three NO. 1514, VOL. 59] synodic periods equal nearly seven years, so that afterthis period oppositions are repeated in nearly the sameregions of the orbit. A closer approximation would beobtained if thirteen synodic periods, which extend over2999 years, were considered. As regards the time whenthe planet comes into opposition—a point of greatimportance, especially in the case of this planet— tells us that, unfortunately, an oppositionunder the most favourable circumstances took place inJanuary 1
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