The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-28
The Approaching Transit of Venus.

The astronomical world is already astir
phenomenon. The passage of the splendid
planet across the SUMS face has always been
looked for with the most intense interest. In
1859, at the instigation of the Royal Society,
George III. Of England fitted out vessel
at government expense and sent her, under
invaluable Information afforded by the rare
occurrence. For fifteen years and more the
Astronomer Royal of England has been sntici-
pating and making preliminary arrangements
for the now expected transit, and his govern
ment have wisely needed his request for fifteen
thousand pounds to defray the expenses of
two or three vessels to be sent out with the
observers.
The great interest attached by astronomers
to transit of Venus arises from it's fur
nishing the most accurate means within our
reach for determining the suns horizontal
parallax, and hence for determining the
distance of the earth from the sun, and con-
sequently also the distances of all the other
planets. The transits Of Mercury are not
nearly so valuable, owing to it's greater dis
lance from us when In inferior conjunction.
A transit lasts several hours, and the differ
ent observers must be so stationed that the
sun will not set to them during these hours.
The four stations proposed to be occupied by
British observers are Woahoo, Kerguelen's
and Rodriguez islands, Auckland in New
Zealand, and Alexandria, and the method to
be followed is that of measuring the absolute
local times of ingress and egress during the
stars transit. Germany is also to send out
parties, fully equipped, to four stations.
Russia is taking active measures to sup
ply q chain of observers at positions one
hundred miles apart along the country
extending from Kamschatka to the Black Sea !;
and It is probable the French government,
notwithstanding its crippled financial con-
dition, will provide for observations at st.
Paul's Islands, Amsterdam, Yokohama, Tahiti,
Noumea, Mascate and Suez
The approaching transit does not occur till
December 8, 1874; but as it is indispensable
that the exact longitude of every station be
almost perfectly known, the stations instru-
mentally equipped, the instruments long and
thoroughly tested, temporary structures erect
ed and, as it is eminently desirable that all
the co-operators should act in preconcerted
harmony, there is no time to be lost in making
these manifold arrangements.
AS yet we have heard Of nothing that has
been proposed or projected for the employ
ment of our astronomers in this important
enterprise. The United States cannot afford
to be behind other nations in any great scien-
tiic movement, and our government by its
energy is eminently able to furnish from its
Naval Observatory, under the charge of
Admiral B. F. Sands, a corps Of accomplished
astronomers for the distinguished occasion. It
Is to be earnestly hoped action will at once be
taken in the matter. and that Congress will
Immediately provide for the national partici-
patton in the knowledge and honor to be
reaped from the great observation.
An international conference has been pro-
posed in England for finally deciding upon the
ultimate and wisest distribution of observers
of oil kinds-telescopic, helometric and pho
Geographic. Uniformity of result is the sine
qua non of success.