1879.] —^J [Chase. 



Further Confirmations of Prediction. By Pliny Earle Chase. 



{Read before the American Philosophical Society, Feb. 21, 1879.) 



Th. von Oppolzer (Comptes Rendus, Jan. 6, 1879), gives elements, de- 

 duced from eight supposed planetary sun spots, which represent the fifth 

 of my intra-Mercurial harmonic positions : 



Distance. Time. 



Von Oppolzer 123 15.8 dys. 



Chase, predicted 120 15.1 " 



This leaves only one vacancy in the chief interior series, the fourth place 

 being still a ''missing link." There is room, however, for an indefinite 

 number of subordinate, or asteroidal harmonies, one of which has been 

 confirmed already, by Gaillot's orbit for Watson's second planet : 



Distance. Time. 



Watson, II 180 27.98 dys. 



Chase 183 28.48 " 



The predicted harmonic denominator-difference was 4. But the denomi- 

 nator-difference in the principal planetary belt is only 2. The following 

 table shows the agreement between prediction and verification : 



Six remaining terms ot the prediction, with a denominator-difference of 

 144 (^L, T \ 7 , g4 T , ? Jrj, gig, yig), represent, as I have already shown,* har- 

 monies of rotation and revolution, thus confirming my hypothesis that ro- 

 tation is due to the collisions of orbital particles, in the neighborhood of a 

 nucleal focus. 



Lescarbault's observation is one of the three for which the exact time is 

 given. Von Oppolzer attaches special importance to those observations, 

 and to the confirmation which they derive from the five other observations 

 which he has compared with them. His orbit, therefore, appears to be that 

 of the true Vulcan for which Leverrier looked. If this proves to be the 

 case, other names must be sought for the remaining planets, or for the har- 

 monic sun-spot periods, if any of them do not represent permanent planets. 



* Ante, xviii, 35-6. 

 PKOC. AMEU. PHILOS. SOC. XVIII. 103. 2A. PRINTED APRIL 22, 1879. 



