Jupiter’s Moons Increase to Ten, Astronomers Find

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 34, 10 February 1939, Page 5

Jupiter’s Moons Increase to Ten, Astronomers Find

CINCINNATI —Jupiter has a new moon, bringing its total Io 10. This was just definitely established here with the completion of computation of the new satellite’s orbit by Dr. Paul Herget, University of Cincinnati asstronomer, following up the discovery of Dr. Seth B. Nicholson of Mt. Wilson Observatory in California. During the present apparition of Jupiter, Dr. Nicholson discovered several extremely faint stellar bodies, twi of which seemed to indicate by their motions that they were satellites of Jupiter. This could not be known until the observations were subjected to careful mathematical scrutiny. Dr. Herget has now completed this work for the first of the two. “The most striking feature of this new object’s orbit is the retrograde motion,” declared Dr. Herget. “It revolves around Jupiter in the opposite direction from most of the other objects of the solar system. This characteristic is also true of the eighth and ninth moon of Jupiter and Saturn's ninth moon. “The new moon’s average distance from Jupiter is slightly larger than those of the other moons and is equal to nearly one-fifth the distance from the earth to the sun. The orbit, however, is very oval shaped, so that the distance varies from 7 tn 30,000,000 miles. “These values will be greatly altered from time to time as the enormous gravitational attraction of the sun causes the orbit to reshape itself. Further observations are under way and a continuation of the computations is necessary in order that the objects may not become lost. Both of these objects are probably not more than .15 miles in diameter. “Dr. Nicholson deserves great credit for the careful observing which led to the discovery of these two new moons. He was also the discoverer of the ninth moon in 1914 while he was still a student at the Lick Observatory in California.” A man charged with murder bribed a friend on the jury to hold out for a ver diet of manslaughter. The jury were out for a loug time. At last they brought in a verdict of manslaughter. The prisoner rushed up to his friend and said, “I'm much obliged to yo.i Was it hard work?” “Very,” said the juryman. “The other eleven wanted to acquit you.”

The following message was flashed on to the screen of a provincial cinema:— “A five-pound note has been found in the stalls. Will the owner* please form a queue outside the box-office to-morrow night?’’