ABSTRACTS FROM ASTRONOMICAL PUBLICATIONS

Author(s): H. D. Curtis, R. G. Aitken and H. D. Curtis

Source: Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 23, No. 139 (DECEMBER,
1911), pp. 272-275
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Astronomical Society of the
Pacific
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40710262
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 ABSTRACTS FROM ASTRONOMICAL
PUBLICATIONS.
In accordancewitha recentarrangement the membersof the scientificstaffof
theLick Observatory holdmeetings onceperweek,as an observatory duty,to report
uponand discussthemoreimportant articlesappearingin thejournalsof astronomy,
theimportant newbookson astronomical subjects,or subjectsof currentand special
interestin the observatory'swork. It has been suggestedthat abstractsof the
reportswouldbe of interestto thereadersof thesePublications,and thePublication
Committee has actedfavorably uponthe suggestion.
It is intendedto preservethe qualitiesof abstractsas far as possible,and to
restrict favorableor unfavorable,
publishedcriticisms, to a minimum.

The Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of

Light.
An interesting case of themutualrelationsbetweenappar-
entlywidelyseparatedfieldsof researchand of the minutiae
whichobtrudethemselves upon the attention of workerson
theveryfrontiers of theexactsciencesis afforded in a paper
by Einstein, "Ueber den Einfluss der Schwerkraft auf die
Ausbreitung in
des Lichtes," Ann. der Physik,p. 898, 1911.
Einstein findsthat,following thetheoryof'relativity, there
shouldbe a gravitational effecton the propagation of light.
As a result,thelinesof thesolarspectrum shouldbe slightly
shiftedtowardtheredwithreference to thepositions obtained
fromterrestrial sourcesby aboutone two-millionth. Jewell,
and Fabry and Boisson have foundsuchshiftsto thered of
this orderof magnitude, but ascribeit to the influence of
pressure in the absorbing layer. Since it is known thatpres-
sure can influence the positionof spectrallinesit seemsim-
possibleto decidewhether suchan effectof gravitation exists
in thiscase. Einstein further findsthatthereshouldbe a
deviationor bendingof a lightray whenpassingthrougha
strongfieldof gravitation.A ray passingclose by the Sun
shouldsuffera deviationamounting to 0.83 secondsof arc,
the angulardistanceof a star fromthe Sun's centerbeing
increasedby thisamount. In the case of Jupiterthe effect
wouldbe onlyoneone-hundredth ofthisamount.It is pointed
outthata comparison of thetheory withobservation mightbe
made from photographs taken at thetime of a total
solar eclipse,
and it wouldbe of greatinterest if it shouldthusbe possible

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 PublicationsoftheAstronomicalSociety,tc. 273
fromastronomicalobservationsto prove or disprovea theory
in therealmof purephysics. H. D. Curtis.

On the Positions of the Gaps in the System of Minor

Planets in Relation to Other Distances
in the Solar System.
In AstronomischeNachrichten,4516, Dr. Adalbert Prey
seriesof numbersthathas been
calls attentionto an interesting
found to recur in crystalography, in vibratingstrings,in the
line groups of spectra,and in the distances in the planetary
systems. He, gives creditto ProfessorVictor Goldschmidt,
f Heidelberg, for the developmentof this series, and then
goes on to considerit in relationto the gaps in the system
of minorplanets.
Briefly,the series is developed from the positions of the
nodal pointsin a vibratingstring,e. g. a violinstring. Taking
accountof the firstfourover-tones,these nodal pointsmay be
expressedbythe series-
1= 0, y^yAiy3,tt,y2,H,y3,H,4A,i. (0
Transformingthisseriesby therelationx =(1 - 1J (12- 1),
takinglx= o and -
12= I, a new seriesresults
x = o, y4, y3yy2, y3, i, 3/2,2, 3, 4, <* (2)
Series (2) is called the normalseriesand is the one referred
to in the firstsentenceabove.
Arrangingin distancegroups (1) the Sun and the planets
Jupiterto Neptune,withinfinite space as the last term,(2) the
Sun and the planets Mercuryto Jupiter,(3) Jupiterand the
fourbrightsatellites,(4) Saturn and satellites6, 7 and 8, (5)
Saturn and satellites 1 to 6, and (6) Uranus and his four
moons,Goldschmidt gives the followingtable:-
Normal Series o y3 J/2 2A 1 3/2 2 00
Group 1.. o . .. y2 .. 1 ... 2 go
Group 2 o Yz .. 2/z 1 ... 2 co
Group 3 o .. y2 2A 1 ... 2 00
Group 4 o .. .. .. 1 c/r> .. co
Group 5 o .. y2 2/z 1 3/2 2 co
Group 6 o .. y2 2A 1 3/2 ..00

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274 Publications of the
The factthatonlyonedistance, thatofthesatellite Hyperion,
failsto coincidewitha number expressing a nodepointis cer-
tainlyan interesting coincidence, fullyas interesting as the
well-known "law" of Bode or Titius.
Forminga secondseriesof numbers in a similarmannerto
the
express points of maximum vibration (i. e. thepointsmid-
way between two corresponding nodes), Prey showsthatby
taking a series beginning with the Earth and endingwith
Jupiter,the three in
gaps thesystem
principal ofminorplanets
coincidewithsuchpoints. Similarly, by introducing the dis-
tanceof the Cassinidivisionof Saturn'srings,intoGroupS
above (the innermoonsof Saturn), it fallsupon the point
representing themaximum vibration of thefirstover-tone.
Of course,if thereis any significance in the factthatthe
planetsoccupypositions at distances from the Sun corre-
sponding to nodal pointsof a vibratingstringany gaps in
thesystem(as in thecase of theminorplanets)shouldfallon
points representing maximumvibration. Prey's research,
therefore,adds to the interest of thiscuriousseriesof num-
bers. He has foundit impossibleto establishany physical
significance,however, in thesecoincidences.
R. G. Aitken.
Permanencyof Pier Construction.
In the Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 4525, Dr. Scheel
gives a resum of certain experiments on the permanency of
pier constructionwhich is of interestto all who have to do
withthe mounting of instruments of greatdelicacy,or those
whereabsolutefreedomfromalterationis practically a pre-
e. g., meridiancircles,seismographs,
requisite, etc. The ex-
periments have been carriedout underthe auspicesof the
Reichsanstaltand haveextendedavertheperiodfrom1904to
1911. The experiment, as carriedout,concerned itselfchiefly
withthevarietiesof mortarwhichmightbe used in suchpier
construction.For this purposetwelve small pillars were
erectedof brick,withdifferent mixturesrangingfrompure
cementto ordinarymortar;thesewereerectedin an under-
groundroomin theReichsanstalt, wherereasonableconstancy
could be securedin the matterof freedomfromexcessive

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 AstronomicalSociety of thePacific. 275
rangesof temperature or moisture.The heightof all these
pillarswas carefullyfollowed, at firstat frequentintervals,
and at longerintervalsafterseveralyearshad passed. The
remarkable resultof thislong seriesof measuresis thatall
pillarsgraduallyincreasedin lengthby verysmallamounts,
and thatthisslowchangehad notceasedat theendof thesix
yearsand a half coveredby the experiment.Full data are
givenin theoriginalarticle,and it is proposedto repeatthe
experiment with larger pillars,approximating more closely
to theconditions
obtaining in actualpierconstruction.
H. D. Curtis.

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