NOTES. 



ASTRONOMY. 



By G. F. Chambers. J. P., F.R..A.S. 



AN .ASTRONOMICAL PILGRIM.AGE.— ruder the above 

 title Tlic Times has published an interesting narrative of a 

 trip by some unnamed correspondent to the Mount Wilson 

 Observatory in California. -At a Conference of .Astronomers 

 there, papers were read on various subjects, one of which 

 concerned a possible Trans- Neptunian Planet. Respect- 

 ing this we make the following e.xtract ; — '" .Another 

 paper worthy of mention dealt with a possibilit\' onl\-. but a 

 possibility so majestic that its realisation would startle the 

 world. Since the discovery of the outermost planet Neptune, 

 there have been several attempts to infer the existence of 

 another planet further out still. Such attempts have been 

 based on one or other of two indications, one cometary, 

 the other planetarj'. From the fact that several comets 

 are related to the same direction of approach to us, it has 

 been thought that there may be an unknown body in that 

 direction. The planetary indications are based on the distur- 

 bance of other planets, similar to that of Uranus by Neptune, 

 which led to the discovery of the latter. No success has 

 hitherto attended any search based on either kind of evidence. 

 But now Professor W. H. Pickering thinks that he has a com- 

 bination of both clues: he infers that there is a planet of great 

 size, and at the same time of such great distance from the sun 

 as to be very faint and difficult to find, which would not only 

 account for several comets, but also for a peculiar disturbance 

 of Neptune, observed, but not hitherto e.xplained. The start- 

 ling novelty of his suggestion lies in the direction in which 

 this planet must be looked for. He thinks it is in a direction 

 nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic 1 Now all the other 

 planets and most of their satellites revolve in orbits nearly 

 coinciding with the ecliptic ; and no one has hitherto regarded 

 a planetary orbit almost at right angles to this general plane 

 as even a possibility. But Professor \V. H. Pickering has 

 already upset one preconception with regard to the solar 

 system. He found a ninth satellite of Saturn which was 

 going round the wrong way — in the direction opposite to that 

 of the other eight of Saturn, the known five of Jupiter, the 

 two of Mars, and the Earth's one Moon. Since then his 

 example has stimulated the discovery of three more satellites 

 of Jupiter, one of which also goes the wrong way round ; and 

 it has been shown that the apparent anomaly can be explained 

 by tidal action." 



THF: (iERM.AN .ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.— This 

 Society, which has done such excellent work in the publication 

 of many meridian Star Catalogues, held its twenty-third 

 ordinary assembly, or meeting, at Breslau this year. 



Unlike the Astronomical Society in this country, the German 

 Society does not hold regular monthly meetings at a fixed place, 

 but about once in two years, for three or four davs, at a place 

 selected by vote from time to time. Its constitution does not 

 apparently limit the place of meeting to Germany. As it 

 affords a good opportunity for its distant members to meet, 

 discuss suitable subjects, see other observatories, and make 

 friends, it would be a pleasant thing if an invitation could be 

 offered for the Society to meet one year in this country, when 

 many of us who do not travel abroad could make friends with 

 our fellow- workers. 



The meeting opened on September 13th, at the suitable 

 hour of 10.15 a.m.. in the Music Hall of the University, when 

 a hearty welcome was given by several high officials of the 

 University and State. 



The Secretary, Professor von Seeliger, gave a report upon 

 the work achieved during the last two years, and, before doing 

 this, expressed regret that the meeting clashed with the Solar 

 Physics Conference at Pasadena, where Backlund, Lehmann- 

 Filhes and Duner were. He said that in 1909, January, the 

 number of members was three hundred and eightv-three : 



eighteen members were lost by death and removal, and as 

 thirty-four members had been elected, and four names were 

 then proposed, the total was four hundred and three ; the most 

 prominent losses by death were the veterans, Newcomb, Galle. 

 and Schiaparelli. 



The Lindemann Prise was awarded to Cowell and Crommelin 

 for their work on Halley's Comet, and two ordinary prizes to 

 Krause and Hnatek for their researches upon the Comets 

 of 1846 vii and 1(S52 iv : the former essay has been printed by 

 the Society and forms No. xxiii of the series. 



The parts of the Vierfeljalirssclirift have appeared 

 regularly and. at last, the second part of the first series of the 

 Astrononi ische GescUschaft Zone-Catalognes, for zone + 70 

 to + 75°, has been published. The observatory to which this 

 zone was allotted having failed to do the work, the lacuna was 

 filled in by the Berlin Observatory a few years ago, this being 

 the third portion of the Society's scheme of 1868 that has 

 been accomplished at Berlin : that scheme has thus taken 

 forty-two years to complete. It is now proposed to re-observe 

 these northern zones ! Cui bono ? 



Of the second or southern series, which was only com- 

 menced a few years ago, all the catalogues are published 

 except those tor Harvard (No. 3) and .Algiers (No. 51. The 

 manuscript is being prepared for the former, and it is expected 

 that the .Algiers zone may be completely observed in 191 Land 

 the whole of the second series, it is hoped, will be published 

 N\ithin two years. 



The meeting agreed to 1.000 marks being spent in the 

 preparation of the Variable Star Catalogue and to 10.000 

 marks for printing the work. We heartily commend the 

 appropriation of this and similar Societies funds to such good 

 works, instead of the accumulation of funds derived from 

 profits on annual income, without any iiKirr definite object 

 than mere hoarding. 



The delay of the publication to July, 1910, of that very 

 valuable annual handbook to astronomical work for 1909 

 the Asfrononiischcn Jalircsbcricht was due to the non-arrival 

 of the foreign contributions. We nmch regret that Herr 

 Berberich was compelled, by the state of his health, to 

 withdraw from the enterprise. The committee of the Society 

 have made great eft'orts to ensure the continuance of 

 this very useful annual, which is of importance, and has 

 become indispensable to astronomical writers in all parts of 

 the world, and it is very gratifying to learn that their efforts 

 have been crowned with success and that the preparation and 

 publication will in the future be carried on at the 

 Recheninstitut in Berlin ; Dr. Naumann, the Ministerial 

 Director, promising to procure the necessary means. With 

 this annual available there is no need for the more expensive 

 and less efficient similar annual as conducted by the Royal 

 Society. 



Dr. Kobold read a report upon recent Comets and Cometary 

 Work : and Dr. Bruns read the treasurer's report. 



Upon the proposals before the meeting, the Chairman was 

 of opinion that the next meeting should be in 1913, as that 

 year would be the fiftieth year of the Society's existence. .An 

 invitation had been received from Backlund to meet in 1912 or 

 1913 at Pulkowa. Battermann gave an invitation for the 

 Society to meet at Ktinigsberg in 1913, as that year was also 

 the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of that 

 Observatory ; also Schorr invited the Society to meet at 

 Hamburg in 1913. -At the third meeting this was discussed; 

 the year and place were left for future decision by the members 

 and committee. 



The members were invited to visit the seismological station 

 at Krietern near Breslau. 



Dr. Bruns. after lunch, introduced a discussion upon the 

 " going " of pocket watches, and the compensation for the 

 barometric influence ; and Dr. Prey brought forward a point 

 concerning the correction of an astrographic lens. 



F. 

 I To be conti)iiicclJ 



447 



