228 POOR 



Computation of Perturbations, 



9. In order to connect the elements of the three appearances 

 with the greatest precision, I had the perturbations for the inter- 

 vals 1 889-1 896 and 1 896-1 903 recomputed. The method of 

 the Variation of Constants was adopted and Elements II were 

 used as the basis of computation. The perturbations of Earth, 

 Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were taken into account ; the intervals 

 of computation varying for the different planets and elements. 

 A uniform interval of 40 days was adopted for all the elements 

 excepting // and L. As these elements are of the most im- 

 portance and the perturbations large, an interval of 20 days was 

 used in the computations for tlie Earth and Jupiter. 



The computations were made in the following manner. The 

 perturbations of the elements, as originally computed and as 

 given in my papers in the Astronomical Journal, were first inte- 

 grated for each date of computation and the resulting perturba- 

 tions applied to Elements II, thus were formed the osculating 

 elements for each date of computation. With these varying 

 elements the perturbations were computed, using the formulas 

 as given by Oppolzer. The masses of the planets, as adopted, 

 follow : 



Earth, --- — - (Newcomb. ) 

 328016 ^ ' 



Mars, 



I 

 2680337 



Jupiter, (Newcomb. ) 



■ "^ 1047.35 



Saturn, (Bessel.) 



3501.6 



The epoch of osculation adopted was, 



1896, October 23.5 Greenwich Mean Time. 



The perturbation of the Mean Longitude was found in the 

 form, 



