Runaway Planet

Most of the 1,600-odd known asteroids (small-fry planets) revolve in orderly orbits between the paths of Mars and Jupiter. But last week an asteroid was off its reservation and rapidly approaching the orbit of the earth. Astronomer C.A. Wirtanen of Lick Observatory, Calif., who spotted it, figured that it was some two miles in diameter (about the size of the Matterhorn broken off at its base) and big enough to give the earth a sizable jolt.

But there was no danger that it would hit the earth--on this trip, anyway. Hasty calculations indicated that it would not come closer than 15 million miles.

The runaway asteroid was a fine prize for astronomers, who rarely get a leisurely chance to study such objects passing so close to the earth. Three other asteroids (the latest ten years ago) are known to have wandered inside the earth's orbit, but they were visible only briefly and have since been lost in space. Wirtanen's asteroid will probably stay around long enough for its orbit to be calculated accurately. Astronomers can keep track of it and perhaps find where it goes when it turns away from the sun.

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