The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-08-20 00:00:00

THE SUN'S DISTANCE.

December, 1882, parties of astronomers were
scattered over the world, to observe the transit of
Venus across thasun's disc, which took place on the
Bth of that month. The observations then secured
by parties sent out by the British Government have
been reduced under the direction of Mr. Stone,
director cf the Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, whose
report has just been published. Expeditions were
sent from -Eneland to Jamaica, Barbadoes, Bermuda,
the Cape, Madagascar, New Zealand, and Brisbane, at
all of which, except Brisbane, satisfactory observations
were obtained. In addition to the above the colonies
equipped stations in Canada, Victoria, New South
Wales, South Australia, Queensland, New Zealand,
Mauritius, Natal, and the Cape. The object of the
observations was to determine as accurately as pos-
sible the sun's distance, which is, so to speak, the
standard yard of the astronomer, and was referred to
by he late Astronomer Royal as the "noblest problem
of astronomy." In 1874 and 1882 photography was
used to aid in the solution of the problem. Notwith-
standing the fact that three transits had been
observed, the observers of 1882 had to overcome
an uncertainty of about one and a half million
miles. In discussing the observations of 1882, Mr.
Stone aimed at securing two independent determina-
tions of the sun's distance, one from a comparison of
the observations of entry on the sun's disc, and one
from the observations of egress. From twenty-fogr
observations of the first the distance 92,654,000 miles
(subject to an uncertainty of 240,000 miles) is ob-
tained; from the second, 92,319,000 miles (subject to
an uncertainty of 370,000 miles); or, combining the
two classes of observation, we have the distance of the
sun equal to 92,500,000 miles, with an uncertainty of
250,000 miles. This value is 190,000 miles less thah'
that deduced from the British observations of the
transit of 1874.

The twin screw armoured cruiser Galatea on her way
from Glasgow to Chatham Dockyard broke down the
other night off Greenock. An examination of the
machinery is stated to have revealed the fact that
several defects existed in the port engines. end
Government overseers report that the damage occa•
sioned by the accident will take about bix weeks to
repair.

Several of the Micrand Railway men on strike IA
Nottingham applied for re•employment, and the
officials have been picking the best men for the viva.,
cies open, the victory of the company being lor,ked
upon as complete. At the Town Hall on Saturday George
Jai:Arisen has been ordered to come up for sentence
when called upon, for obstructing a Midland detective
named Bing. A summons against Thomas Ball, for
intimidating George Eason, a driver who remained at
work, was withdraw!! .
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