New-York tribune., 1874-01-17
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE MOON AND TRANsTTS OF VENUS.

THE MOON AND TRANSTTS OF VENUS
FOURTH LECTURE BY PROF. PROCTOR IN BHoohLfN'
Prof. X. A. Proctor, the English astronomer
continued his interesting series OF lectures ~ he booA
lyn Academy last evening the subject being Inc "oo
and tho Transts OF Venus" the iliustrstlohs' ~
before being produced by photographs and diagrams
tho former exhibited an unusually largo scaio oy
means OF Prof. Morton's oxyhy ydrogen stereopticon
Before entering upon the subject OF the moon froi'
Proctor spoke at length question at present attract
ing great interest among astronomerstho approaching
transit OF the planet Venus. You all know OF COURSE
said he that this transit depend the best methods OF
determining the distance OF the sun, and that
upon determining the suns distance depends
our estimate OF all tho dimensions OF the
planetary system. Therefore that IL the
fundamental problem at starting. because when we pass
on to the also ideas depend ON that one unds
mental mea suremcnt OF distance. Now 1t happens that
tho planet Venus by coming between the Garth ana tue
sum- enables to measure that distance III manber
very easily explained. We know that the distance from
yenus 10 the sun distance OF the earth from the
sn IA ye 10 soyen and therefore, observers at tne
north and at tho south OF the earths gioo'
look at Venus at time when she Ia directly tow'rds
the SUM- the southern observer will see Venus at the
highest of those stations and the northern observer WI"
see her at the lowest OF those stations. 1t becomes
simple matter OF geometry to determine IN this way he
required distances. The southern observer Wat'hes
Venus going across the suns face on the hortheIn
track; the northern observer aces her on the lower
track and by noting how long she they determine now
long those two tracks are. and then geometry sotoo
the difficulty.
The lecturer referred to another method much moic
difficult and requiring more observers Ih1h 'he ui''
method IL had been suggested by the Astronomer
Royal "a the only proper or POSSIBLE, method Dy "hIch
to observe the transit OF Venus In tho present year
The lecturer showed the mistake OF the Astronomer
Royal and stated that reality the first aud simpler
method was the to be adopted. ana thaI OHe year
WAS 1892 in which it could not be employed.
In treating Of the moOn the lecturer referred 10 th"
worshprrs OF both sun moon and then stated that
the .urface of the noonibOut 1900 900 square miles
was less than that Of the earth IN the Proportion OF 20
I3I The volume Of the to the earth ~ 10 l9. IN
regard 70 rho Offices discharged by the moon 10 the
earth the lecturer alluded very pleasantly 10 Pte
onniou thai n he han male the moon ne would have
made II much more useful to man. "a 10 would then
have been four times if3 prcsent distance, Wh'n u
would AWAY, be a full moon. lie SURPRISED that
unfortunate IN his for there were astron0n
objections III particular H. well aS the oJcc'ioh t-
lt woifii no longer bO - measure or time.
In commenting on the Moon Hoax" Prof. Proctor
created much haIusement by mentioning the -raye ''lte
mcnt, In IL regarding the black men. monstrons crea
lures IN the moon comparison made between them
tho mlfa of London aud the mQEirY made from
America Of SIR John Herschel whether true about
the back men IN the moon, and II - whether any means
could be adopted for conveying relxou' lnsrI',o. 20
ne benightcd Inhabitants. He heNi trtAlen OF We
power OF obtaining lunar pictures, and showed ina.
there ia limit beyond when we cannot GO lOr We
take photograph picture OF the moon On screen ana
magnify II, magnify the detects. Au iuteltSiiuE
inquiry then made, whether thore Is Dle on .le
moon He showed that there IL atmosphere ON the
moon for ydTlOds reasons, among tHcm lhat
there a. no twilight there and "A star disappears
Instantly behind II. unlike tae appearance oI ~" sun
above oar horizon aitrr 1t has actually SUNK below
and We at the iull sharply denned circle
no xtrn,ion by sh1 at either IL there we're
an observer the on he would see around The earn
stars which were really behind 1t, by the rerracioh o.
Am
on the moon. II there il would I've raised ntn the
shallow atmosphere and cause changes of appca ace W
the strcaks anc floors which away remain unchanged
The argument iIa the ciaters mus INV" LI'""n @ o,
water aud he yaror. theories 10 account Tor lis dsa
perance were discssc The lecturer dii n"' lind any
theory thai sufficiently accounted for tue OF
attn spLcIe On the moon M any tnc c cdult
to the conclusion thar no life is there ana thai even
there doubt whether the cracrs attributed to Vorle
action were not in reality caused Oy 1s'hcIes nom
without. - . -,
dIrrtut qGariers then 'Xisttcl, ana the lecturer
pointed olt wonderful number of craters the lunar
Apprentices, the floor of Plato, which was once 'upDo. II
10 be "a evidence of lunar vegetation PcIre' oi 'Ar
Apprentices, and several OF the cratcr''as the) "ou'i
look to the supposed uwelicFs iD tr moo, "t4e shun
The theories OF fhe formation OF these crIrs were gwen
Oue was. that they were formed by volcanic acoLi-
vents FOR the 6tse' general III lne INTERIOR Ol
one OF wout have been amply sufficient 10 carry
off all the gas wn!cn could have come irom the moon
changes going forward there. as he had found b,
calculation tha not more ,lan one III l,'V 'ou @
Il bc seen precisely thc sanie. IL to.'' va "i,
was 20. 0f our days. while TIE year was ohly
3,5 vi -: days He recnrrcd aSIn 70 e l"rnaIoh ol
the The surfice OF the moon had tAIcty the
appearance a. u IL caused b, "a Ou.bhng up oi
gases or - pouring down al heavy ram. Tne DubblnG
theory untenaDle. and the SUGGESTION t!a IL was
produced by pounding down 0i mcieoric MI
aiieS was much more rca5nnap,e' " as ,,m in ~" =
plastic state aud comets were more numerous
Ia conclusion ne spoke ~ the evidences OF Dc ;hhins
ana OF solar bodies. Tue moon mad passed through
ali the Stages amt practically dead Jnpttf ahd
Venus, Mcrcury were far enough advanced 10 be Ill
!Or mans rcSlI,nct