Abstract
An Interesting New Minor Planet.—On the average three new minor planets are discovered every week, so such announcements are received with equanimity. But when the new object has an unusual rate of motion the case is a little different, for it implies either proximity to the earth or that the body lies on the outer fringe of the asteroid region. Circular No. 465 of the Berlin Rechen-Institut announces that a new planet designated 1931 RA was found by Herr Reinmuth at Königstuhl, which had the remarkably slow motion of -20sec per day in R.A., and 1′ south in declination this is slower than the usual rate of the Trojan planets when near opposition, as the new planet was. The motion was verified by another observation two days later. The slow motion may arise either from great distance or from the linear velocity of the planet being nearly the same as that of the earth. In either case the body is deserving of careful observation, so the positions are given as a guide to observers:
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Astronomical Topics. Nature 128, 641 (1931). https://doi.org/10.1038/128641a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/128641a0