[Atmob-discuss] Question about the planets

[Steve Beckwith]

I don't know if Saturn's perturbation was noted by any other astronomer
before the discovery of Uranus or if it were, how it was explained.  
I do know the calculations to find Neptune were first performed on a whim by
a math student at Cambridge University and then later by a French
mathematician.   

A few years back, I read "The Neptune Factor", an excellent book about the
discovery of Neptune and the politics involved in the race to be the first
nation and/or observatory to find Neptune.

- Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: atmob-discuss-bounces at atmob.org
[mailto:atmob-discuss-bounces at atmob.org] On Behalf Of Dr. Arthur G. Swedlow
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 1:07 AM
To: A. Joseph Ross
Cc: ATMoB-discuss at atmob.org
Subject: Re: [Atmob-discuss] Question about the planets

A. Joseph Ross wrote:
> So here's a question that just occurred to me.  We all know the story 
> of how unexplained irregularities in the motion of Uranus led to the 
> discovery of Neptune.  So how come there weren't irregularities in 
> the motion of Saturn, caused by Uranus, but unexplained before Uranus 
> was discovered?
>
>   
Hi,

I suspect that one reason is that the effect of Neptune's gravity on on 
Saturn, a planet some 6.5 times as massive, would have been rather 
small.  Uranus's motion would have perturbed more by Saturn than Saturn 
by Uranus.
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