CHAP. n.
BODE’S LAW.
*9
covered by him, but by Prof. Titius of Wittemberg , usuallybears his name:
Take the numbers —
o. 3. 6. 12. 24. 48. 96. 192. 384;
each of which (the second excepted) is double the preceding;adding to each of these numbers, 4, we obtain
4. 7. 10. 16. 28. 52. 100. 196. 388;
which numbers approximately represent the distances of theplanets from the Sun, as exhibited in the following table :—
Planets.
True Distancefrom ©.
Distance byBode’s Law.
387
4*00
7-23
7*00
10*00
10*00
15-23
16*oo
Ceres.
27*66
28*00
52-03
52*00
Saturn ......
95'39
100*00
191-82
196*00
300-37
388*00
Bode having examined these relations, and noticing thevoid between 16 and 52 (Ceres and the other minor planetsnot being then known), ventured to predict the discovery ofnew planets; and it was this conjecture that guided the in-vestigations of subsequent observers. 1 In the above table thegreatest deviation between the assumed and the true distanceis in the case of Neptune ; it is possible, however, that whenmore complete observations of this planet shall have been
1 As far back as 450 b.c. Democritus of Abdera thought it probablethat eventually new planets would, perhaps, be discovered. (Seneca,Quast. Nat., lib. vii. cap. 3 and 13.) Kepler was of opinion that someplanets existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter , but too small tobe visible to the naked eye. The same philosopher conjectured thatthere was another planet between Mercury and Venus .