ASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN. N2 3249. Band 136.

On the Elements of (33) Polyhymnia, and the of . By Simon Newconzb.

More than twenty ago, I called attention to the In the work as first done I used general perturbations great value of observations on the planet (33) Polyhymnia by the Earth, and omitted the action of Uranus entirely. for determining the mass of Jupiter (.4. N.Bd. 79, S. 245). It was found, however, on examination, that decimals enough I hoped by doing so to secure a continuous series of ob- had not been used in one term of long period in the servations at each opposition from that time onward; but general perturbations by the Earth, and I deemed it better this hope has been disappointed. Still, enough of obser- to reject them entirely, and use special perturbations. At vations have been made to afford a value of the mass the same time the opportunity of introducing the action of which I think is entitled to greater weight than any other Uranus was taken advantage of. single determination. In order to lessen thelabor of computing these small The work of making this investigation, like several perturbations, the disturbing forces were not computed for other works in which I am engaged, has been carried on intervals of an integral number of days, as usual, but for piece-meal, in a quite irregular way, for more than ten years. equi-distant mean anomalies of Polyhymnia (5" in the case As far back as 1884-8j, the special perturbations of the of the Earth; IOO in that of Uranus). This rendered it elements were computed by Professor G. C. Comstock, from unnecessary to c~mpute the quantities which depended the date of discovery up to near the end of 1888; it solely on Polyhymnia for more than a single revolution. being deemed necessary to await observations at the oppo- Having done this for the middle revolution, the same sition of the latter date before completing the work. Mr. values were used for the three revolutions preceding and Conistock also discussed all the early observations, and following it. It is true that in this way terms of the first made several additional ones at Madison. Last I order only are included in the perturbations ; these however was able to have the heaviest part of the computations seem to be sufficiently accurate. that yet remained made by Dr. Norbert Herz; and now I The first of the following tables gives, as already am able to report the completion of the work. As it will remarked, the adopted values of Elements V for the fun- be some time before I can get the full investigation printed, damental . I communicate herewith such of the numbers and results They are followed by the corrections found from all as seem necessary to enable the work to be prosecuted by the observations. Applying these corrections to Elements V others. It seems very desirable in the interest of future we obtain Elements VI. astronomy that the perturbations should be continued from Next is given the constant terms to be added on the point where I have left them off. But I am unable to account of the Earth perturbations, in order to obtain undertake this work myself. osculating elements for the same epoch. The elements which were used to make the final I give next the reduction of the Elements VI from comparison with observations are designated as Elements V, the original epoch to the epoch 1888, November 8.0, and are shown in the following table. They are taken as Berlin. The numbers are given, I hope, with sufficient ful- osculating at the fundamental epoch 1873, July I 7.0, Berlin ness to render easy the detection of any discrepancy or mean noon, except that the perturbations by the Earth are error in the work. In the top line of the table we have not taken to vanish at this epoch, but to have values the values of Elements VI as referred to the ecliptic and shown in the first table below. These should be applied in mean equinox of 1870.0. In the next line is given the order to get osculating elements. perturbations by Jupiter, Saturn and Mars from the funda- With elements differing only a few seconds from mental epoch up to 1888, November The next line Elements V, and which therefore I do not deem it neces- 8.0. gives the similar perturbations by Uranus, and the next sary to publish at present, the special perturbations of the those by the Earth; it being understood however that the elements by Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus were latter do not start from the value zero at the fundamental computed from the date of discovery in 1854, to De- epoch, but from the values given above, In the next line cember jtll, 1888, using the following values of the : is given the correction to the perturbations by Jupiter on Jupiter I : nz = 1047.879 (Bessel) account of the increase 0.000505 m of the mass, of which Saturn I : m = 3 501.6 (Bessel) I shall speak presently. In the next line is given the Mars I : vz = 3093500 (Hall) precession from 1870.0 to 1888.0, including the effect of 9 131 3249 132 motion of the ecliptic. The sums of these quantities are the perturbations by Jupiter, and then those by Saturn an6 the values of Elements VI for the last epoch, referred to Mars, do not seem to require much explanation. The the mean ecliptic and equinox of 1888.0. dates are those for which the disturbing forces and differ- It will be remarked that I have supposed the cor- ential variations of the elements were actually computed. rections applicable to Elements V to be the same at the Oppolzer's method and formulae were used in this part of epoch 1888.0 as at the fundamental epoch, This assumption the work. The summation of the elements themselves is not strictly correct, since the perturbations will be different corresponds to the intermediate dates, while the table of if computed with the final elements. Rut the error thus summation of the perturbations of the mean motion is introduced is, I think, quite unimportant at present. taken to refer to the original dates for which the disturbing, The tables which follow, giving the summation of forces were computed.

Elements V Corr. per Obs. Elements VI Earth Pert. 1. =-- 318" 53' 30To + oT60 f 0134 31 8" 53' 30'160 +I:'27 x =- 342 20 7.5 - 0.89 5 0.80 342 20 6.61 -6.60 Ip = I9 52 54.2 - 0.77 5 015 I9 52 53.43 +2.33 $2 =-= 9 2 44.9 +60.9 & 10.0 9 3 45.8 0.00 i :- I 56 20.0 - 1.08 & 0.31 I 56 18.92 0.00 r" = 7321'81750 +72 &6 7 32118 I 82 2 0.00 Epoch, 1873 July 17.0, Berlin. Ecliptic and Equinox of 1870.0.

x v, 62 i P

Elements VI 17'24' 181'28 34~~20'6T61 19'52' 53!'43 9" 3' 45:'s I' 56' 18!'92 732T81822 Pert. Jupiter, Saturn, Mars -2 29 57.67 +o 49 21.95 -0 24 18.65 - 5 26.5 - I 22.27 -3.48587 Pert. Uranus - 1.60 + 3.25 + 0.03 - - 3. 6 - .- Pert. Earth 4.33 + 9.32 + I .69 - + 202 - + - AY 4.57 1.50 0.74 - 0.15 -- 0.04 - I17 I'rec. to rS8S.o 4 I5 4.70 + 15 4.70 - + '3 55.75 + 8.27 - '5 9 15.41 343 24 47.33 19 28 35.76 9 12 14.9 I 55 4.88 729.33266

Summation of Perturbations by Jupiter.

Date B2Ap I BAL, ZAP BAi

1873 June 27 - 0.056 + 0.042 - 0.0101 + 0.008 - 0.089 0.000 - 0.008 Aug. 6 - 0.066 ... I ...... 1688 May 19 - - 1482.885 -80.958 288.504 June 28 133,3461 t2947.323 - 135.0096 -- 1477,461 t2952.083 -81.041 -287.811 Arig. 7 -136.9138 -81.153 - 287.87 j Sept. 16 - 1471.352 +295a.o~4 - 138.8304 - 1465.229 - 81.282 - 289.038 Oct. 26 +2965.195 - 140.6076 -81.416 Ilec. 5 -1459459 +2972.754 -291.439 - 142.1659 1454.148 t2979.988 -81.542 --295 058

Summation of Perturbations by Saturn and Mars.

1873 June 21 + 0.003 - 0.003 - 0.0037 + 0.008 - 0.023 0.000 - 0.003 Aug. 6 - 0.00 I

...... I ...... 1888 May 19 + 56.686 - 22.743 0.5251 + 2.952 - 8.316 - 0.886 - 35.485 June 28 4- 57.212 + - 2 2.906 + 0.6315 + 2.611 - 8.822 - 0.883 - 35.511 Aug. 7 + 57.843 - 22.927 + 2.278 - - 0.881 Sept. 16 + 58.580 + 0.7373 9.229 - 35.510 - 22.799 t 0.8237 + 1,993 - 9.489 - 0.879 - 35.495 Oct. 26 + 59.404 - 22.530 0.8758 1.772 - 0.878 Dec. 5 + 60.280 + + -. 9.458 - 35.480 - 22.145 -t 0.8849 1.604 - 9.010 - 0.878 + 61.16j + - 35.475 I33 3249 I34

Actual Perturbations by the Earth. Actual Perturbations by Uranus. AL Az A9 105Ap AL An A9 105Ap 1873 July 17 +1:'27 -61'60 +2!'33 0" 1813 17 OYOO 0:'OO o!'o 0 0" ...... 3888 Oct. 6 -5.12 t7.64 +2.41 - 40 1888 Oct. I -1.60 1-3.27 +0.03 +3 25 -4.70 t8.70 f2.01 -I- 76 26 -1.60 +3.26 +0.03 t5 Nov. 14 -4.14 t9.56 c1.46 +280 Nov. 19 -1.60 +3.24 to.03 t7 The Mass ,f Jupiter. The great suitability of this method of determining the gravitation of the sun and planets. This distrust seems the mass of Jupiter is shown by the fact that although the to be amply justified by our general experience of the representation of the observations is far from satisfactory, failure of cornets to move in exact accordance with their the probable error of an observation of weight unity being ephemerides. -+ 2:'2, yet the probable error of the denominator of the Mass of Jupiter from mass of Jupiter came out only 0.030, the result being Wt All observations on the satellites p = 1047.82 I p = 1047.34; m. e. ko.044. Action on Faye's (Moller) 1047.19 1 Action on 'fhemis (Krueger) 1047.54 5 With this determination I have combined all the other Action on Saturn (Hill) 1047.38 7 determinations which it seemed to me it was desirable Action on Polyhymnia 1047.34 20 to use. Action on Winnecke's conlet (v. Haerdtl) 1047.17 10 The following table shows these values, and the rela- ____ tibe weights to which I have judged each one entitled. I Weighted mean 1047.35 m. e. k0.065 do not deem it necessary at the present time to give in all detail the considerations which led to the adoption of I propose to regard this mass of Jupiter as a defini- these weights. I may remark, however, that von Haerdtl's tive one, to be adopted in my work on the planetary excellent result from the perturbations of Winnecke's cornet, theories. which has by far the smallest probable error of any deter- In the interest of the astronomy of the future it mination yet made, has not been assigned a corresponding seems very desirable to apply Gill's heliometer method to weight, because of a distrust on my part whether obser- the continuous observation of a selected number of the vations on a cornet can be considered as having always minor planets, especially Polyhymnia. I include this planet, been made on the centre of gravity of a well defined mass, although it is to be feared that it can be reached with the moving as if its centre were a material point subject to heliometer only at oppositions near its perihelion.

Nautical Almanac Office, Washington, I 894 June I. S. Newcomb.

Untersuchung uber die vorrnalige Bahn des Cometen 1886 11. Von Pfarrer A. Thraen zu Dingelstaedt.

Nach Veroffentlichung nieiner Bahnbestimrnyng des comktescc zusandte, an dessen Schluss der Verfasser seine Cometen 1886 I1 in Nr. 3160-61 der Astr. Nachr., welche endgultige Ueberzeugung also ausspricht : eine hyperbolische Bahn desselben ergeben hatte, regte Herr $On ne peut donc pas alleguer la disposition des Berberich brieflich bei mir den Gedanken an, dass der ClCnients en faveur de l'opinion que les cornktes viennent hyperbolische Character der Bahncurve wohl durch Storungen des espaces interstellaires et comme d'aprks les deux verursacht sein konne, welche der Comet vor seiner Ent- premiers chapitres, cette opinion ne peut pas rendre compte deckung dureh hnnaherung an einen oberen Planeten, wahr- de I'absence des orbites hyperboliques, il faut admettre que scheinlich Saturn, erlitten haben moge. Anderweitige Re- les comktes sont des membres permanents du Systkme schaftigungen hinderten mich, die erforderliche umfassende solaire, et par consequent que ce Systhe s'etend bien au Untersuchung damals sofort durchzufiihren. Vorlaufige Rech- delk des planktes que nous connaissons. Ce sera notre

nungen erwiesen ubrigens, dass die Annaherung an Saturn conclusion finale. (( nicht bedeutend gewesen war, da er im Minimum seiner Mit dieser Schlussfolgerung stand genannter Comet 1)istanz von demselben im September 1884 noch urn 4.7 irn Widerspruch, da dessen Bahn zur Zeit seiner Sichtbarkeit Erdbahnhalbmesser von ihm fern geblieben war. Neuen zweifellos als Hyperbel erwiesen war. Es hatte daher fur Anlass, die Frage nach dem Ursprung dieser Hyperbel zu mich hohes Interesse, durch Berechnung der Storungen, untersuchen, bekam ich, als mir im Marz der franzosische welche dieser Comet innerhalb unseres Planetensystems er- Astronom Louis Fabry von Marseille sein Werk ak?tude sur litten habe, die Frage zu entscheiden, ob dessen Bahn eine la probabilite des comktes hyperboliques et I'origine des Widerlegung oder Bestatigung der Theorie des Herrn Fabry 9