15 April 1954
Mr. Clyde Tombaugh
Flight Determination Laboratory
White Sands Proving Ground
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Dear Mr. Tombaugh:
Dr. Donald H. Menzel of Harvard College Observatory, and others, have
recommended that I write you concerning my possible discovery, with the
observational help of Mr. Richard Holpuch, of a family or families of
"moonlets" circling the earth.
Soon after sunset on October 18 and 19, 1953, Mr. Holpuch saw, crosing
the moon, a steady stream of objects. The longest time lapse between individual objects, or groups of objects, was about one minute and often they came
in groups of 10 to 15 at a time. Always they moved in the same narrow path
and from West to East.
Often the particles were large enough to see their outline - like lumps
of coal. These objects glowed dull red, like faint stars, before reaching
the limb of the moon, then appeared black in silhouette as they made their
transit.
I made a rough check to see if they could be satellites of the moon or
earth and determined they could be of the earth. Then, taking into account
the Right Ascension and Declination of the moon for the time of day involved,
the observers latitude and longitude, etc., I solved graphically and analytically for the sub-points of the orbit on those two occasions by assuming
various distances from the center of the earth until by trial and error I
determined the height that gave the proper period for natural satellites of
negligible mass in circular orbits.
I also made a library search for any observations made by astronomers in
the past where objects were seen to transit the sun or moon in from 1 to 4
seconds. I found several instances during the 1800's in vhich this happened
and have written observatories at the following places for verification:
Palermo, Sicily
Naples, Italy
Zacatecas, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
Magdeburg, Germany
Marseille, Franch
Bangalore, India
an altitude of from 341 to 500 miles,
suggest an altitude of from 1500 to
Bagby, John P.; Tombaugh, Clyde William, 1906-1997
Subject
Astronomy--Observations; Earth (Planet); Satellites; Research; Telescopes--Design and construction; Government and the press; Congresses and conventions; Press; Amateur astronomy; Scientific illustration; Press releases; Publicity; Birds--Migration
Relevant Names
Menzel, Donald H. (Donald Howard), 1901-1976; Harvard College Observatory; Astronomical League. National Convention; Skokie (Ill.)
Digital Publisher
New Mexico State University Library
Collection
NMSU Department of Astronomy: Clyde W. Tombaugh Papers
Source
Scan produced from physical item held by the NMSU Library Archives & Special Collections Department
Astronomy--Observations; Earth (Planet); Satellites; Research
Relevant Names
Menzel, Donald H. (Donald Howard), 1901-1976; Harvard College Observatory
Date Original
1954-04-15
Digital Publisher
New Mexico State University Library
Collection
NMSU Department of Astronomy: Clyde W. Tombaugh Papers
Digital Identifier
Ms0407pp070023_0010001.tif
Source
Scan produced from physical item held by the NMSU Library Archives & Special Collections Department
Type
Text
Format
image/tiff
Language
eng
OCR
15 April 1954
Mr. Clyde Tombaugh
Flight Determination Laboratory
White Sands Proving Ground
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Dear Mr. Tombaugh:
Dr. Donald H. Menzel of Harvard College Observatory, and others, have
recommended that I write you concerning my possible discovery, with the
observational help of Mr. Richard Holpuch, of a family or families of
"moonlets" circling the earth.
Soon after sunset on October 18 and 19, 1953, Mr. Holpuch saw, crosing
the moon, a steady stream of objects. The longest time lapse between individual objects, or groups of objects, was about one minute and often they came
in groups of 10 to 15 at a time. Always they moved in the same narrow path
and from West to East.
Often the particles were large enough to see their outline - like lumps
of coal. These objects glowed dull red, like faint stars, before reaching
the limb of the moon, then appeared black in silhouette as they made their
transit.
I made a rough check to see if they could be satellites of the moon or
earth and determined they could be of the earth. Then, taking into account
the Right Ascension and Declination of the moon for the time of day involved,
the observers latitude and longitude, etc., I solved graphically and analytically for the sub-points of the orbit on those two occasions by assuming
various distances from the center of the earth until by trial and error I
determined the height that gave the proper period for natural satellites of
negligible mass in circular orbits.
I also made a library search for any observations made by astronomers in
the past where objects were seen to transit the sun or moon in from 1 to 4
seconds. I found several instances during the 1800's in vhich this happened
and have written observatories at the following places for verification:
Palermo, Sicily
Naples, Italy
Zacatecas, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
Magdeburg, Germany
Marseille, Franch
Bangalore, India
an altitude of from 341 to 500 miles,
suggest an altitude of from 1500 to
