Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-17

These observations the best could make under the
circumstances but do not lay claim the highest precision
The relative motion Of the planet slow that il mpos-
sbe to observe the contacts with any thing like the accuracy
which may be attained in occultaon of by the
The apparent diameter Of Mercury IL g. being It's
greatest possible value, yet it three and half minutes in
describing this that is, in twenty seconds of tme its
motion only second of that with ordi-
nary telescope the time Of internal could be
tmaed within several seconds and the disc of the planet
could not possibly be until more than twenty seconds a
ter the first external contact If the eye were nteny
fixed upon the precise point Of ndenaton When the pa
first distinctly perceived had already advanced per-
haps third Of its diameter upon the suns disc At the
time above given for the first internal contact faint line Of
light began show itself between the limbs OF the planet and
the sun The time given for the second internal contact is
the of three observations when thin ring OF
light between the limbs Of the planet and sun
cond when this ring reduced to bare line OF lights and,
the third when there decided rupture OF the ring The
time OF second external contact the instant when the pa
ceased to make sensible impression upon the suns disc
Throughout the entire duration OF the transit the disc OF the
planet appeared of nky backness and perfectly circular
might possibly have been seen by good eyes without the a
of telescope.
According the preceding observations the transit occurred
between and later than the time predicted by
astronomers This may be thought great discrepancy YET
indicates in the tabular place of Mercury OF less
than half its diameter When it is considered that one hun
ed and sirt circles like Mercury, arranged upon
straight line in with each other would have just
tended across the centre of the suns disc will appear that
the planet has wandered far from the path which asrono
have prescribed for The tables of Mercury have been
greatly improved in recent times. In 1861, when there oc-
CURED transit of mercury the suns disc, astronomers
watched at their telescopes four entire da, because there
this discrepancy the tables of that time transit OF
Mercury the Sd of May, 1885, As usual La
land announced the day before in the Journals OF Far
giving the hour, minute, and second when Mercury would
leave the suns disc for the beginning OF the transit would be
in the night Unfortunately, the sky cloudy The as
ronomes Of Paris watched their telescopes until the in
slant predicted for the eges and even hall hour later but
the sun was still hid by Clouds and they gave up the obseva
ton in despair Messier and Deambre alone pesevered in
their watch All Of sudden the appeared, and they
Mercury about leaving the suns disc Laandes predc-
ton than forty minutes in error.
Few persons living have transit OF Mer-
curry before the present The only tansts which have
occurred during this century werels02, November 1919,
November IL 1922 November A.; 1892, May 8 1885,
November Z.
The first three of these occurred in the night and the two
last were rendered invisible by clouds The next transit OF
Mercury will occur November g. ls4s, and will be visible in
this country The last transit Of Venus took place June 3
1853 the next will occur December 8, 1874.
Eclipse of the Sun.-The eclipse Of the SUM- Tuesday
morning. the 9th umo, also observed at this but
the circumstances very unfavorabe The sun rose be-
hind thin clouds; its limb quite unduatng, jagged, and
i-defned The eclipse perfectly papabe until near the
close when it became difficult distinguish the ndenaior
caused by the from the other mentioned inequalities
figure SO that the time of ending uncertain to at leas
five seconds My estimate 5h. Am. IS. time
the University, being - minutes after sunrise.
The preceding observations all made with the ttl
telescope of the University and excellent thermometer
Dent kindly furnished by the Messs Blunt and its errc
was determined by their observaten Brook
lyn. ELIAS LOOMS.
Q New York University, May 9, ls45.