September 2nd marks the passing of Franz Xaver von Zach. Franz Xaver was a Hungarian astronomer who was the director of the Gotha Observatory when it first began operations. He enlisted the help of 24 European astronomers to scour the skies for a planet that Bode's law predicted should be between Mars and Jupiter. They didn't find a planet, but discovered the asteroid belts.
Bode's Law, or more correctly, Titus-Bode law is a mathematical empirical rule governing the distances of the planets from the Sun. To use Bode's law, start with the sequence 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, etc. where each number after 3 is twice the previous number. Add 4 to each number and divide the result by 10. The resulting first six numbers of the sequence are 0.4, 0.7, 1.0, 1.6, 2.8, 5.2, and 10.0. These values closely approximate the distances in astronomical units of the planets from the Sun. Mercury = 0.4 AU, Venus = 0.7 AU, Earth = 1.0 AU, Mars = 1.6 AU, Jupiter = 5.2 AU and Saturn 10.0 AU. According to this, there should be a planet at the 2.8 AU mark.
In 1801, astronomers discovered the asteroid Ceres around the 2.8 AU distance and then quickly located more asteroids. When it was discovered, the planet Uranus appeared as the seventh number in the series at 19 AU, but Neptune did not follow the rule. Bode's law is considered a numerical curiosity by today's astronomers.
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Bode's Law, or more correctly, Titus-Bode law is a mathematical empirical rule governing the distances of the planets from the Sun. To use Bode's law, start with the sequence 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, etc. where each number after 3 is twice the previous number. Add 4 to each number and divide the result by 10. The resulting first six numbers of the sequence are 0.4, 0.7, 1.0, 1.6, 2.8, 5.2, and 10.0. These values closely approximate the distances in astronomical units of the planets from the Sun. Mercury = 0.4 AU, Venus = 0.7 AU, Earth = 1.0 AU, Mars = 1.6 AU, Jupiter = 5.2 AU and Saturn 10.0 AU. According to this, there should be a planet at the 2.8 AU mark.
In 1801, astronomers discovered the asteroid Ceres around the 2.8 AU distance and then quickly located more asteroids. When it was discovered, the planet Uranus appeared as the seventh number in the series at 19 AU, but Neptune did not follow the rule. Bode's law is considered a numerical curiosity by today's astronomers.
Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.
Follow About.com Chemistry on Facebook or Twitter.
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