The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-01
The Translts of Venus.


Is not without It's interest. When KEEP
Ter, in 1927, had completed the "Ru.
dolphipe Tables" rudolph II. being
Emperor Of Bohemia), he was in q bet.
ter position TO calculate the motions Of
the planets. His first important dis
covery was that Venus would traverse
the suns disc on December 0, 1881.
This, in little tract, he published to
the world in 1929. His calculations
were that the ingress would take place
at sunset. GaSsendi, French astron-
omer, doubling tie accuracy Of KEEP
ler's calculations, began his watch on.
the 4th, and continued 1t to the 9TH.
Both he and Repler were unsuccessful.
The calculations were only approxi-
mately true. It is now known that the
transit occurred during tho night OF
December 0, 1881. His calculations
were, therefore, correct.
The next transit Of Venus (the first
actually obseryed), took place Noyem-
ber "a, 1880. Kepler had not foreseen
It. He had said that after 1881 none
would take place till 1761. But far OF
in England, where court and parliament
were engaged in quarrel that finally
led To civil war, there was q boy Of
nineteen who had got hold Of the Ru.
dolphine Tables. Jeremiah Horrocks,
Of Hoole, rural village fifteen miles
from Liverpool, discovered, as he
thought, IN error in Kepler's predic-
ton, and set himself at work to verify
his suspicion. Tic tables indicated
that on the approaching 9th Of Noyem-
Der the planet would cross the heavens
little below the sun. By some older
tables 1t was predicted that this would
occur above the sun. The thought
struck the boy that the mean Of the
two results would show Venus actually
on the sun. Further calculations con-
firmed his hopes. A transit upon which
no human eyes had ever looked, and
which the great astronomer OF tho nge
had postponed till four generations ut
least should have passed away, was to
occur within ten days. Horrocks had
not the means OF making his discovery
known, save to m amateur astronomer,
William Crabtree, neighbor and
friend.
Both the young men prepared to
watch for tho phenomenon-the one at
Hoole, the other at Broughton. Hor-
rocks had watched all.Saturday (23d) to
give wide margin for allowance OF err
rors. Nothing appeared. Sunday came
and lie resumed his gaze. But he was
religious man, and to be absent from
church services on the Lord s day, even
to make discovery that would benefit
in future time millions OF his race, was
10 him sin. He therefore left his
telescope and screen, and went to
church. As soon as he was again at
leisure-that is at one.quarter past
three in the afternoon-he resumed his
labors. Shortly the planet appeared
like black globe upon the suns disc
and moved across it from east to west.
Here his own account OF the phenome-
non: cat this time IN opening in the
clouds, which rendered the sun distinct
" visible, seemed rs II Divine Proyi-
dence encouraged my aspirations, when,
o most gratifying spectacle | the object
OF SO many earnest wishes, l perceived
new spot Of unusual magnitude and Of
q perfectly round form that had Just
wholly entered upon the left limb Of
the sun, SO TINT the margin OF the sun
and spot coincided with each other,
forming the angle Of contact" Owing
TO the near approach OF sunset, Hor.
rocks was unable TO observe the transit
longer than half IN hour. But enough;
he had seen It, followed it, measured
and transcribed II, and had made his
name immortal.
Crabtree, on the contrary, had been
watching his screen in the darkened
room during the whole day. Up to
nearly evening the sun had been OBJ
scured by thick clouds, without
break since the morning, and the weary
watcher, well.nigh hopeless, was about
giving up in despair, when. just before
sunset, as II ayeil had been drawn aside
from tho heavens, the face OF the great
luminary, with the planet crawling over
it, was plainly depicted on the screen.
Tho young astronomer was entranced.
He lost sight OF every thing-measure.
ments, time drawing and colors-in his
extremity Of delight. But the vision,
though IL was only momentary, re-
NAMED so clear upon his mind that he
was able afterwards TO project q correct
diagram from the memory.
One hundred and twenty-five years
brought the world TO June 3, 1T61, and
thousands OF eager faces In many parts
Of Europe and Asia were gazing on the
second recognized transit OF Venus
across the sun. HALEY had now sug.
gested that, by accurate observations
at distant places, The solar pnrallax be
ascertained. For reasons which have
ever been unaccountable the whole Of.
fair was failure. Observations did
not coincide nor did observers agree,
and II has long been fortunate for man.
kind that the results derived from an
other transit have been approximately
reliable.
OF tho extensive preparations made
for observing the last transit Just al
luded to, we have already spoken. On
June 8, 1863, there were on the watch
better men, and in use more perfect in.
struments. Cook, the celebrated cir
eumnayigator, who afterwards lost his
life at 0taheite, made the events Of the
Sandwich Islands observations known
TO the world by his published "Voy.
ages" The reports Of the French Acad.
emy OF Sciences, tho memoirs Of
whit was done by the italian astron.
omers, and papers furnished by Savans
at Madrid and st. Petersburgh, have
all been before the world for q century,
and the observations they record were
long looked upon as Trustworthy. They
vere In fact discnaaad Nv ali fha nriti.