FORMA TION OF ME TE O RITES 385 



It is assumed that the lag of the axis of elongation of A is 

 uch that the efifective path of explosive projection will be 

 directed to the rear of B. It must be noticed that if the center 

 of A passes through the outer part of the Roche sphere of B, the 

 nearest edge of A, if undistorted, would pass within two or three 

 hundred thousand miles of i?, and hence that the projective 

 elongation of A must pass critically near B ; but the relative 

 speed of the bodies A and B is so great — -both being near the 

 parabolic velocity with respect to the other — that the projected 

 matter of A can only collide with B on the supposition that the 

 velocity of projection at least equals the parabolic velocity of 

 the body and acts instantaneously, the last of which is impossi- 

 ble. This is based on the assumption that the transverse com- 

 ponent of the attraction of B prevents the elongation of the 

 minor axis of A, which is true of liquid bodies tidally affected, 

 but might perhaps break down in a gaseous body under these 

 extraordinary conditions. The point, however, is not important 

 here, for if the edge of the projected part of A collide with B, 

 it will only intensify the rotatory effects under consideration, 

 and such collision is contemplated as an essential feature of the 

 next following case, but is excluded here as the effects of 

 approach without collision is the special theme under discussion. 



The very close approach of the elongated extremity of A to 

 B obviously gives great effectiveness to the rotatory influence of 

 ^'s attraction upon it. If the amount of this attraction be rep- 

 resented by the fall of y-o\j-j3- part of the mass of A toward i? at a 

 mean distance of 200,000 miles from ^'s surface — the masses of 

 A and B being each equal to that of the sun — such a fall for 

 about two hours and a half would generate a momentum equal 

 to the whole revolutionary and rotatory momentum of the pres- 

 ent solar system. It would appear, therefore, that under the 

 conditions postulated a rotation of a highly effective kind must 

 be imparted to the elongated body. It will now appear that the 

 previous rotatory energy of the sun, which is only about 2 per 

 cent, that of the solar system, is a negligible factor. 



The history of A then takes this form: (i) A very rapid 



