The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-07-10
NUMBER Is.
From the Baltimore American, u.
The Transit of Venus.

4 seven or eights planets are whirling in
circles, Of which there Is one to each
planet, and that these circles are distant
from the sun in various degrees-that
of Mercury, or perhaps the problemati-
cal Vulcan, being the nearest, and Nep.
/ tune the fartherest. But the fact is that
the planets move in ellipses rather than
circles, and that the elongation Of the
paths upon which they travel will, at
certain stated times, cause them to move
directly across a portion Of the suns
orb. Such a movement is called the
transit of planet. For the purpose of
observation from the earth the transit of
/ Venus il the only one that is OF practi-
cal use. In the eightee tn century a
French astronomer, NJ. Delambre, dis
covered star very close to the sun,
which he has sat down as a planet, and
give the name of Vulcan, but its exis-
tence is doubtful. Next to it in near
ness comes Mercury, but it revolves 40
close to the central body that il very
rarely seen with the naked eye in our
latitude. There have been attempts to
take observations of its transit, but they
have resulted in failures. Next comes
/ Venus, and then the Earth, the other
planets being still farther distant from
the sun than that which we inhabit. OF
their transit we. Of course, know moth
ing, because they do not cross the disc
of the sun within our range of observa-
tion. But for astronomical calculations,
the transit of Venus il the great event
to students upon our world. These
transits have acquired immense interest
and importance from the fact that they
supply data by which the suns distance
from the earth can be determined with
far greater precision than by any other
known method. Venus revolves in an or
bit within that of the earth, and, next TO
the sun and moon, is the most brilliant
object in the armament visible to us. In
the last century astronomers perceived
the importance of observing her transit
across the sun, and when it took place in
1869 there were ffty-nine stations estab-
lished in the various localities from
which the phenomenon was visible, near
ly all the governments of Europe SEN
ding out expeditions to take observations.
The atmospheric conditions were high
ly favorable, and excellent views were
obtained; but the defects Of the instru-
ments then in use and the fauliness OF
the calculations led to wide divergence
in the estimates of the distance of the
earth from the sun. The magnitude OF
Venus il nearly equal to that of earth,
and its intense luster dazzles the eye
and aggregates the optical defects of the
instruments nsed. These difficulties in.
terfered greatly with the observation
made in 1863; but there was another and
greater obstacle not apprehended before
the expedition started out. This was
as to the precise moment of the move
ment of the planet across the the sun
whether it should be taken when the
outer edges of each hinged upon the
other, or when the line of departure
could be precisely perceived. One ex-
petition made calculations on one basis
and an other on the other, so that when
they were reckoned up the distance be-
tween the earth and sun was figured up
at all the way from 81, $780, $40 miles to
los, 1884, $50 miles. Such diverse figures
were of but little use 10 students, and
about the year 1922 the famous German
astronomer, Encke, took hold Of them,
and after working them up fixed the
proper distance at 95, 1900 miles
This was held to be the correct stan.
dard until in 1854 Hansen overbauled
the calculations and presented 81 ,659, ,O0C
as the result. Various other astrono,
meTs worked up the problem until ii wa'
fixed by general consent at 81, 1000, ,00C
of miles in round numbers, and if thesG
figures are wrong the world looks to the
, observations to be made next Decembei
to correct them. There is curious co
incidence in the fact, as evolved by Pro
fessor Smyth, that the distance now re
corded is precisely that of the dimen
sional features of the great Pyramid
demonstration that many of the illus
: trations regard as recent acquisitions o
astronomical science were known TO thi
, architects of that most remarkable struc
ture. The line of difference between an
, cient astrology and modern astronomy
is indeed scarcely perceptible, and il
= studying the work done centuries ago VI
cannot but marvel at the result
I achieved by the scientists of the Older
time, notwithstanding that they were 81
mixed with magic and mysticism. Th
miputeness Of the work Of the scholar
who recast the figures of the observa
tions of 1869 may be estimated when
/. is stated, a. Sir John Herschell says
that the corrections correspond to tn
E apparent breadth of hnman hair on
hundred and twenty-five feet distant, o
= a sovereign eight miles away. And
: is such refinement of science upol
b which We now expect TO improve.
D The transit Of Venus, which take
place IN OcCeinOSE ucALf n hhC ~
: since that Of 1869. With the faults Q
previous observations as guides, and th
: perfection Of instruments that has bee
e recently achieved, it is supposed ths
{ we shall now approach very nearly
e absolute correctness. The transit vii
J, not be visible in those parts of the worl
t where IL could be most easily observed
q II will be visible in various parts Of tn
It extreme northern hemisphere, but th
d most favorable station will be far ava
e in the South. Mr.. Proctor In his ad
; mirable work, says that for the observa
q tion Of transit which occurs In D'
a eember the weather Is the most likel
n to be good in the southern hemispher
n and bad In the northern. II the atmo'
u pheric conditions were equally favorr
It BILE in each the work would be great
ie aimpli6ed. But as It is, the most in
portant stations will be in the distaI
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