Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-11

Continual J

methods require at least two stations,
greater number would control and sup
port each otter, and allow us to take
the average result of greater number
of observations -Four stations at the
corners of large quadrangle on the
surface of the earth might give two
sets of stations for each method. But
this year the stations may be nearer to
one hundred. ss.I.. | e54
81 Careful preliminary studies have al
ready determined on what portion of
the earth the transit will he visible.
The most available points will be turn
ed to account for stations Some of
the best points, too, seem almost mac
cessible, still there is vast line of
posts determined on in the northern
hemisphere, and quite a nun. Der to COR
respond with them in the southern.
Beginning at Alexandria in Egypt, the
line stretches northward and eastward
through Palestine, Georgia, Siberia,
Tartary, Middle Asia and Northern
China, to Yeddo 10 Japan, perhaps to
Honolulu in tie Sandwich Islands.
Along great part of this line the Rus
sian Geographic wires will give exact
lonsitudes, thus atfording a fine field for
the use of Delisle's method. In the
southern hemisphere, the line may be
set down as commencing at the Cape of
Good Hope, bending enthusiastically
to the lately discovered Antarctic lands,
passing south OF Australia, then turn
ing upwards towards the equator, and
terminating at Nukahiya in the Sand
wlch Islands, in the south Pacific
Ocean.
Southeast of the Cape of G God Hone
and lyiLg in about the 4Sth degree of
latitude, aud on an east and west line
are situated the islands of Prince Ed
ward, Crozet, St. Paul. Reunion and
kerguelen Lands; aud further south if
the southern summer will have suffi-
GENTLY melted the SHOWS, and driven
back the ice barrier to allow the obser.
vers to land and work, at Campbelrs
Land in New Caledonia, and in other
pisces, stations will be placed, between
which are corresponding stations in the
northern line in Central Asia, north Of
the Himalaya Mountains, Halley's
method viii be carried out. The dis
lance between several of these northern
aud southern stations will exceed 6.3OO
miles on the same line of longitude,
while the distance on an east and west
line line from the shores of the Black
Sea to Yeddo in Japan will give 1000
miles, ON which the principles of Del
isle can be tested to their utmost limits.
being aided by the Russian telegraph
through the Amoor country and South
ern Siberia. It is not alone the deter
minaton of the distance CT the sun from
our earth that it is hoped to establish
by these stupendous operations, but
that the distance OF some of the stars
may also thereby be determined. TO
know the size of star, its distance
must be determined. The problem
given to astronomers to solve in deter
mining the distance of the stars was one
OF stupenaoas difficulty. 1t was to be
determined by observations made in
different parts Of the earth's orbit, sep
arated be $50 millions miles Of space
All stars except nine or ten remain un-
changed N direction. But what must
be their distance when a change of $50
million miles In the place of observa-
ton caused no perceptible change in
their direction. II 4.. ~ "a
The star Alpha Centauri is 21O,O
times more distant than the sun. An
other star, 81 Cygni, which was esti-
mated TO be three times the distance of
Alpha Centaari, astronomers have since
found not to be three times, bat twice
the distance. Now here was an error
OF 10000 times the distance Of the
sun from the earth, and yet their error
n a instrumental measurement was so
small that it could scarcely be apprecia-
ted, tor at the present there is no way
known to tell the size of star, only by
measuring it's light. The star Alpha
-Centauri has been found to shine with
ths | i.-mlliionth Part Of the suns
brightness. l. the sun were removed
to the distance of that star, it would be
tbe .4U-Ipillonth part of It's present
brightness. 1 hat star would shine
three tines as brightly as the sun does
II 1t were placed tesde it, and its sur
face IS i've times that of the suns. All
this .supposing the surface of the same
intrinsic brightness as the sun. Cen.
taurl ls15 degrees east from the. South.
ern Gross, and 80 degrees from the
South Celestial Pole. The king of
stars, !" Sirius" " orthe Great Dog Star
IN :. CAMS Major" is 100 times as
onghtas the sun, and its volume ex-
ceeds that ofithe sun 1000 times. But
how Go we know that these stars are
suns like ours? THAT these stars are
vaprous 2 BY the method of the spec
tsoscope it could be shown that the
stars give a rainbow, tinted streak.