Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: July 16, 2025
Afterward, when the orbits of many asteroids had been investigated, the soundness of Olbers's theory began to be questioned.
Although not made public until 1797, "Olbers's method" was then universally adopted, and is still regarded as the most expeditious and convenient in cases where absolute rigour is not required. By its introduction, not only many a toilsome and thankless hour was spared, but workers were multiplied, and encouraged in the prosecution of labours more useful than attractive.
The combined bulk of these minor planets is believed to be but a fraction of that of the earth. Olbers's explosion theory, long accepted by astronomers, has been proven open to fatal objections.
Olbers's theory of unequal repulsive forces was never more beautifully illustrated. The triple tail seemed a visible solar analysis of cometary matter. The processes of luminous emanation going on in this body forcibly recalled the observations made on the comets of 1744 and 1835.
Yet the theory has never been entirely thrown out, and now that the discovery of the light fluctuations of Eros lends support to Olbers's assertion of the irregular shape of some of the asteroids, it is very interesting to recall what so high an authority as Professor Young said on the subject before the discovery of Eros: "It is true, as has often been urged, that this theory in its original form, as presented by Olbers, can not be correct.
The symmetry and simplicity of the planetary scheme appeared fatally compromised by the admission of many, where room could, according to old-fashioned rules, only be found for one. A daring hypothesis of Olbers's invention provided an exit from the difficulty.
Instead, then, of being discredited by its assumption of so strange a catastrophe, Olbers's theory fell into desuetude because of its apparent failure to account for the position of the orbits of many of the asteroids after a large number of those bodies had been discovered.
Although, at first glance, such a catastrophe may appear too wildly improbable for belief, yet it was not the improbability of a world's blowing up that led to a temporary abandonment of Olbers's bold theory.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking