Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-08
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
The Greatest Astronomical Event Of The
Year-MRsOn aud Dixon, and Cap
tain OOOk-0ther Transifs-
The ReneGtiit Brings.

The transit OF Venus will begin about
eight O'Clock this evening, Memphis
time, three hours after sunset. During
the four hours that the phenomenon will
last, the United States will be shrouded
in darkness; that Is, it will be during our
night time. Close obsei vers in Alaska
may see 1t at sunset for a short time.
The whole Atlantic ocean, Europe, and
America will be on the dark side Of the
globe, while the Pacific ocean, Asia, and
the eastern shores of Africa will be on
the daylight side during the transit. AL
| though We cannot see IL at home we
have made ample preparation for repre-
sentative scientists who will see 1t for
US, and report the results of their OBJ
servations. There are eight American
parties on the other side Of our sphere,
fully supplied with necessary instru-
ments to make the most OF the event.
They are distributed where they will do
the most good. There is one party on
DesOlation island, fifty degrees south
of the equator, and seventy de-
grees east of London. There is one
at Hobartown, In Vsndieman's land,
south Of Australia. There is one in New
Zealand, and one on Chatham's island
in the Southern ocean. The others are
at various places on the east coast of
Asia, including Pekin, China. Every
nation in Europe has parties out making
10 all perhaps two hundred different sta
tons OF observation. The exact dis
tlnee of the earth from the sun is the
principal fact sought to be ascertained
by the learned world by means Of this
transit. There were couple OF tTsnsits
every century during past ages, but the
world was not prepared to profit by
them, and in fact did not know OF them.
Some things were aseerlained during re-
cent transits, but not enough. They
served merely to create curiosity and
make the star-gazers anxious. All the
philosophers now are on the ragged edge
Of excitement respecting the possible |
outcome" Of the event tonight. Be !
fore Kepler's time no one had any idea |
of such an event. He calculated that |
transit would occur In 1881, and such an |
event did occur, bat so little interest |
was then taken in astronomy that no |
one noticed 1t. The next one took place |
eight years afterward, and was
watched by two or three philosophers |
only, one of them being preacher. He,
by name Eorrocks, had made what |
be could at the time to see
and profit by the transit, but before the
round ball of black touched the SUMS
disc the church bellraDg, for it was SUM-
day, and HorrOek had to go and make a
sermon for the drunken squire and his
family, upon whose estate the church
was built and from whom he got his
''living." In the afternoon, however,
when the long prayers were all said and
homily OF learned length and thunder
s1g sound had been delivered, Horrack
repaired again to his little study, and
was much TejOiced to find a little black
head crawling across the image OF the
sun which he had reflected in his room.
That was IN 1888. The next pair Of tran
sits occurred in 1861 and 1863 respective
~ The latterOf these was awaited of oy
many astronomers, and considerable
success attended then efforts. Mason
and Dixon, the surveyors of the line
that bears their name, took a
1aad In the business, so did Cap
tain Cook, the famous navigators. Tie
Of the instruments Of that
day prevented the attainment Of suffi-
eient accurate data to satisfy the astron-
omers. At present we will be better off
10 this way. The Photographic lens
a1d the speeToscope, things unknown
IA the LAST century, will play an Import
mt part in the observations Of Tuesday
night. Reliable pictures of every phase
If the transit, from the moment of first
aXternal contact to the last external con-
act, will be made. Pictures will be
AIKEN every second, perhaps two or
bree g second during the critical mo-
nent when the black head is entering
IN the face Of the sun, and when 1t is GO
lg oil, The mathematical instruments
n possession of the numerous scientific |
PARTIES Of observers are full, complete,
.nd Of the latest perfection Of finch; I
md nothing but universal clouds, log, or
Dther storms, will prevent satisfactory !
ssults being obtained. A trans q
t is q rare thing, and being
II 50 much Importance for the
,urpose of measuring the exact |
Instance OF the sun, the coming event
las already stirred up the scientific
world to its prOfoundest depths. Venus
5 inside Of Us, that is the planet nearer !
be sun than we are, aud moves round
be sun thirteen times for our eight. ?
hat is one reason why transits are SO
are. Another is that we cross the plane c
( the orbit Of Venus ia our annual a
JUrney round the sun, and hence such
n event can only occur at the time we .
re crossing, which is in June and De-
ember. ItcanUot happen next June, :
ecause We will be on the other side of
be SUI then; we will have gone half 4
7ay round in our orbit, but Venus will ;
ave gone good deal more than half =
Ter distance. For the same reason no
ransit can take place for eight years,
nd after that not again for one hun n
red and twelve years. The next one,
o 1882, will be visible in the United
itates, and all the boys and girls win be
king up apsratuses TO see it. 1t will J
G like fly crawling over the face Of
iarnum's clock. Who can say that the .
.tle black bead crossing over the face
{ the great, brilliant sun Tues G
ay night does not bear with
10 its progress hundreds of millions
Intelligent beings who are busted L
4 all the absorbing pursuits of life,
the eXeitements and bickers
lgs of ward politics? That is not the 3
lea, however. We do not care the
alue Of hickOrynut whether a fam =
re is raging there or not; whether they d
re caucusing or fighting, or spouting or
!ying down cables for the passage of
ectric currents, or pipe laying for the &,
assage Of bills with 'jObs" in them. Z
Te reok not, if its countless millions of
minated beings should perish in one ~
Weeping calamity. We only want to
AXE use of means for our privileges,
st as we want to use everything else
nd every body else for our own interests
supposed interests. Most likely be- j.
nd that we have no other view.