New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-06-03


~iderenl Phenomenon.
TO tle Editor Of The Tribune.
\ late number Of the London Times contains a
communication from : r james South. giving aminuie
description OF the celebrated Telescope Ina lc under
the supcrin,endcncc OF Lord Rose ln pari Of
bis letter Mr. South gives the following account oi
81 remarkable phenomenon the cause Of which he
-ays, j. involved ia impcnc.rablc mystery.
On The 18th Of March when the Moon was seven
day and halt old never her uniliumincd disc
80 beautifully. nor her mountains 40 tcmpungil
measurable Onmy first looking into the Telescope.
a star Of abou; the 9Th magnitude was some minutes
of degree distant from tic Moon DARN limb. see
ina that is occuliaion by the Moon inevitable.
A. II was the first OcCuliaiOn that had been observed
by that telescope was anxious that 10 should b. OBJ
served by It's noble maker. and vcrs much do ] PC
grct that through kindness toward me- hc wouit NOT
acccdc 10 my with The star. instead Of disappear
inc the moment The Moons edge came ia contact
with IL apparently elidcd ON the Moon dark face.
rs II II had been seen through Il Transparent, Moon
or rs il the star were between me and the Moon. l.
remained o., the Moons di,c nearly two seconds Of
time. and then instantly disappeared. Oh. sm. 80 D..
-idcrcal time have seen TINS apparent projection
Of star Oh fhe Moons face several times. bnt from
the great brilliancy OF the star. this was tine most
bcauiiiull ever saw. The cause o. ilf. phenomenon
is involved in impenctrablc mystery
n appears that some attempts have been made %
account for this phenomenon but all have, rs yet,
failed in producing satisfactory explanation For
my own part having very little knowledge OF the
science Of Astronomy, and being one iu the humber
ranks ia society, feel somewhat dii'idcn n -aJ inc
that think ] have an idea that will explain this
markable occurrence. However whether this idea
Of mine be correct or not viii give if and probably
some OF your readers may make something ont of b.
II is a fan well established that light requires
certain length Of time travel from part OF space
20 anoih,- 80 that when we look At any OF the I'm
mnou. bodies in the armament we only sec the light
that emitted by thcsc bodies at some former pc
Rod differing in length Of time according their
distances may bee small or great. DR. Lardncr, in
bis lecture on the Fixed Stars SAYS:
For If light requires thousand years 10 come
from any Of those plainly dstingushabe stars. there
bc doubt that Il takes twenty times as long i0
come from others and what are We 10 infer from this
but that there are visible objects ia the universe
which 90 900 years ago existed as they are now seen
Light lcii these stars 10000 years ago and has Just
reached the earth upon which We live For 10000
years past then these stars, for augh' we know. may
not have existed The light by which we see SIRIUS
lett that sisr three years ago and from that day 10
ill4~ We nave hiipN II H'hiiii- ~ ID.
Now if the above be correct. land have not the
least doubt of rs truth think the Of the Star
appearing on the Moons body can be solved. Let
us suppose n large Opaque body, moving IN a circle
situated half way between Sirius and our Earth
that this Opaque body is invisible TO the naked eye
aud that during its revolution inicrsccis the rays
Of light that come from Sirius to thi- globe does il
not follow that we should continue to see Sirius for
year and a half after the occuaion had taken
place; and during the time Of the cccultalion We
should see Sirius move along the dark face OF the
Opaque body; and that the eclipse of Sirius would
not bee visible for year and half aftcrit had taken
place when The opaque body that caused the eclipse
would be millions OF miles away ia another part of
the hcaycnsl II the above mode Of reasoning j,
true, then think we may account for the phenomc
non described by Mr.. South for in like manner
would the STAR appear TO Mr. :. when It's rays were
inicrsecied by the dark edge of the Moon. The
rays OF light coming from the star being thus divided
the Star would appear to be upon the dark part OF
the Moons surface as long a. any of the light emit
ted by the Siar-prcvious 10 the occuliaiion--had
no; reached the earth. But a. soon a. that part OF
the rays which the Moon had divided had reached
the bcholdcr on the Earth. so soon would the star
disappear Mr.. :. says. the Star remained on the
Moons disc nearly two seconds OF time according
to the calculations made on the velocity OF light j,
would require more than second and half for light
10 come from the Moon TO this Earth, which would
very hcayiy correspond with the time Mr. : SAW
the Star on the Moons dark surface.
have given my ideas in as simple manner as
possibly could and if thcy are not sufficient 10 eX
plain this phenomenon they may be OF some use 10
others who have more abilities TO reason upon the
subject l. w. Il.