He was,
therefore, induced to try whether he could not determine from the
disturbances of Mercury the existence of some other planet, at
present unknown, which revolved inside the orbit of the known
planet. Theory seemed to indicate that the observed alteration in
the track of the planet could be thus accounted for. He naturally
desired to obtain telescopic confirmation which might verify the
existence of such a body in the same way as Dr. Galle verified the
existence of Neptune. If there were, indeed, an intramercurial
planet, then it must occasionally cross between the earth and the
sun, and might now and then be expected to be witnessed in the actual
act of transit. So confident did Le Verrier feel in the existence of
such a body that an observation of a dark object in transit, by
Lescarbault on 26th March, 1859, was believed by the mathematician to
be the object which his theory indicated. Le Verrier also thought it
likely that another transit of the same object would be seen in
March, 1877. Nothing of the kind was, however, witnessed,
notwithstanding that an assiduous watch was kept, and the explanation
of the change in Mercury's orbit must, therefore, be regarded as
still to be sought for.
Le Verrier naturally received every honour that could be bestowed
upon a man of science.
Pages:
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392