Abstract
A STUDY of the forms which can be assumed by masses of actual compressible matter under their own gravitation is of obvious importance for cosmogony and astronomy. A theorem of fundamental importance is that for a given mass, acted on by given forces and rotating at a given speed, there is only one equilibrium arrangement of the internal strata when the boundary is fixed. Thus possible figures of equilibrium can be classified by their boundaries; the interior matter will arrange itself.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
The Configurations of Astronomical Masses and the Figure of the Earth 1 . Nature 99, 317–318 (1917). https://doi.org/10.1038/099317b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/099317b0