GEOLOGY — MOULTON. 



189 



axis and eccentricity would both have become smaller if the compu- 

 tations had been carried further. 



The next cases considered were the same, except that the velocities 

 of ejection were taken less. On the side toward S' the velocity was 

 taken sufficient to cause the matter to recede, if undisturbed, to the 

 distance of eight astronomical units. The curve described was much 

 like the one found in the other case, except that the perturbations 



Fig. 3.— Diagrammatic illustration of Case 2. Fig. 4.— Diagrammatic illustration of Case 5. 



were always somewhat less. When S' had receded so that its influ- 

 ence had become negligible, the matter was found to be moving in an 

 orbit whose eccentricity was 0.89 and whose perihelion distance was 

 55,000,000 miles. 



The matter which was ejected in the direction opposite to S' was 

 given a velocity sufficient to cause it to recede, if undisturbed, to 

 the distance 6. It made a much more rapid curve than in the first 

 case, and was left moving in a hyperbolic orbit. These orbits are 

 shown in fig. 3. 



In the next computation the perihelion distance of S' was supposed 

 to be half as great as the distance from the earth to the sun. The 

 ejection took place when S' was 90 before its perihelion, and the 



