1. Orbital Data on the Existence of Oort’s Cloud of Comets
Oort’s work on the cometary cloud is reviewed and extended using new data from 99 comets with high-quality orbits. These data clearly show the pronounced pile-up of the “original” reciprocals of the semi-major axes at values of less than 0.000100 AU-1. This concentration is found to be even more striking for comets of large perihelion distance, and the possible significance of this is discussed. Lyttleton’s criticisms of the concept of the Oort cloud (or, as only he calls it, “shell”) are reviewed and dismissed as largely irrelevant. A set of data on 96 comets with orbits of second-class quality is also considered.
1977 ◽
Vol 39
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pp. 87-91
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Keyword(s):
1997 ◽
Vol 165
◽
pp. 149-154
1966 ◽
Vol 24
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pp. 51-52
1999 ◽
Vol 173
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pp. 45-50
Keyword(s):
1999 ◽
Vol 173
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pp. 327-338
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Keyword(s):
1978 ◽
Vol 36
(1)
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pp. 146-147
Keyword(s):
1968 ◽
Vol 26
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pp. 356-357
Keyword(s):
1995 ◽
Vol 53
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pp. 512-513
Keyword(s):
1986 ◽
Vol 44
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pp. 736-737
Keyword(s):