THE "CAPTURE" THEORY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 14

THE "CAPTURE" THEORY.

AN ASTEONOHERr AND. HIS CEITICS. ' Thej latest; contribntipn by Professor T. J.vJ..:See,, of-vthe'-.tliutea-..States Naval Observatory at Mire Jslaid;- to the "Capr ture , recently by Mm as ■ supplanting: ;tho' ••■ nebnlar'■: hypothesis ofvLaplace; bids fair:to;Btir: tip a'-coni .troversy. ,'astronomical and scientific , and scientific circles,- says -the- San Francisco ."lypekly.';Qhrbnicle." ■;.: •• .= : ; •■ ;.":From .•.Chicagojr'cotnes::,the"news : ;'that a number ;of astronomers "there-scout;tho. theory;of'the,'Mare-Island'scientist- -■' _. In brief,-Professor.See's'th'eory' is : that .the; planets. J had; "captured , by :the snn and thatHheir"orbits'haa.been.grad-V uaUy ireduced;; in^Biie-; aid" founded, up under; the' seoular :■■ action of a resisting mediumj'that thefsatßUites: likewise 'had been'; captnred-.by. their sereral planets and .had" had;: their,'. orbits ;transformed" m, the; same.';-manner; .finally that' the moon had.'been oaptttred by the earth, and the craters ;qn. its surface had been formed 1 byr.the.;impact.■of : ;satellitescwhen ,tHe moon "revolved .among' the. ■ asteroids or "t:'->- 1 ., v■. .. m' ', The.'Chicago .scientists ; : who are quoted , as discrediting.; Professor 1 See's- theory ■ drir Professor PhilipyFoi, -director of the Dearborn, Observatory, of the;NoTth--w'es- : tern .University; ;Professor. W.' D. Mifil- : ;lan ; and;' Professor .rMoulton. None- of ■the,-.:mpre'; distinguished astronomers of the East;:however,ihave : ;6o,far.expressed: an' opinion!;v 1 "': '■ ■~K l !\-l ] i-''^'-' ., ■"' -.'':' ; Professor'/VGebrgo. ; ; Davidsbn; •iprofessoi of geography ■;in .the University, of, California,, .member of fiforiiy, learned'societies | in ;-.the United; States/. and;: ; Europe, and ; an, ;, astronom'eri.of, note,'•'has" hadi much ! to. say.:.ih ; praise.'.of.-Professor. See as'a ■ Bqiennst.-.':: , ■•>...".;'■ ' ; ";;';';.. '^;.,:;.'.., ;.-..■:: \-r.y .'■;•"Professor'r.See..'l3 :a'■'conscientious.'.investigator," he. said, much bigger; man;J;han.many - ".who; ! .have"attacked';'himr I .notice that'.none' of : the .'really, iambus astronomers,i.qf ■"the' East, vsQch as 'Pro-11 ifssor-; Picfering.-.'havo;' scoffed':';' at' his < theory;:,..;So>far- -«e'j'thq -publ^ed : dis-patches.-go;-;rit;iseemsv. ;bnly';the': lit-1 t!e.,foUows Otiservatbry ;wh'6"' ;are"inclined;.to. ; be:facetfpns;'';■:■'.',. : ..'.: v. : 'eai(j;' ; ,fhat. :: there, -were mnnyJrespects'Mn wlicC.he.'di'dnbV agree' withiProfeSspr; See; : \but:-that:he Vasi inclined; to..VacceptLhis.'.''caLiiufe'i : tliebry"'' • game;iy,':that:;.the ;:iilnnotsSh , ld'i:been'' , caW fared;by,tho; to, ;and''tbat .the "satellites 1 l!kew7sa;-had:»'b;ee.n'.cap'tnre'dyby.their'sev-: eral;.-planets.-... Some ■,pther , 'partß,ibf: 'Prb-'fesor.-Sees [Berkeley-.'address rProfessor' v JJavidsottiwas inptVinclineftsto .(accept; - ' ; '■ That.vportibnj'where.r th'e.vMarerfsTand' cmersApf that" many; of. 'the^ra-aters-areyar^Bly-obyered-with-ebs- , ' mical..duslvtahKnd."of njetajlibior;lithio' rain,, which(:had- fallen , : from^conflagro>" Professor. IlaviqEon ;%as>dispose'd'' to> make impossible,/'he ■• 1 SMd,..^to;.;Bee,' l ai?y;.''cosmicali'"dnst- as,; far? .•a\mr::aa i 'jtKe.V , n)ooii;'}.''v , .' , /-P- ,i; :'. , ..' | .;' : '' ;, ' : -' ' ; y.fl^P&VM?)? :(a'-perspnal friendi'of-;mnie,,yadded-.payidsoni' I' have the (greatest, respect,*for: his:'.wort I ,■ Hβiia 'an :. e f?S?*.'J?^S' h ,?Td! i'rorVer ;';he; speate' •T ] /n« l P n tfrom-;.,the: shoulder, and some.which.. has!been--triade of his.;, theories..v.has-. been-,> inspired; by; personal; dislike; on the part of hia'critics. , .'