The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-12-13

1Eoh various sources report The sue.
cessful observation Of the transit Of
Venus. The elaborate and costly e.-
peditionu sent to so many points OF
earth, to note the movement of the
planet ns it passes across the centre of
the solar syston, provokes inquiry as
to tho object. The Baltimore Ameri.
cun gives The reason briefly, thus:
Tho primary object is to ascertain
the distance of the snn from the earth
which, once fixed, will enable us To de-
tarnlne :he distincc of all the various
members Of tho planetary system from
the earth and from each other. even 20
that "t Neptune. SO far removed that
one OF its dnys is cycle Of oar years,
whilst tho warmth .! the rays vi the
snu never reaches its perpetual ice am!
suow. Our distnncu from the sun is IL
yard-stick for measuring other ca!cs-
tial distances, ant When that is once
definitely known, wn have ~ positive
busis to go npon fer measuring space
Tho preliminary trouble :, that there
arc millions Of miles Of difference in
the various estimates OF the distance
between the earth and the sun. The
ancient astronomers fixed it at ., 600,
0O0 of miles; bnt Encke calculated i. ut
95, 600, 900. which he's been the com.
mon acceptation up to the present
time. But the object to be attained ia
absolute certuinty, and tho supposi.
tion is that tho modern perfection Of
science would attain this from the OBJ
serva:ions of the rccen. transit Of
Venus. 1t is the claim Of scientists
that it will enable them tc arrive at
certainty in their work, and demon
strate it to the popular comprel.n-
sion. Under such conditions, it is not
! difficult to understand the value OF
these observation
The first observation % the transit
was in lG3o by Jeremiah Horbocks a
young astronomer. Tho crudo man.
ner OF his proceeding is thus told:
"He darkcned his room and lit in
| sunlight on sheet Of white puper,
through an aperture in window shut
ter. 1t was Sunday, md tue fious as.
tronomcr watched his paper TIL it was
time to go to church. This duty he
wonld not neglect, although another
opportunity to witness the transit of
Venus, and demonstrate the wisd D om Of
some years study aud labor. he knew,
would not be offered for century.
Returning from church in the after
noon, he resumed his observation, and
thus describes what folIowcd .At this
time np opening in The clouds, which
rendered the sun distinctly visible,
seemed AS ii Divine PruvlIenca en-
couraged my aspirations. whnn, ub!
most gratifying spectacle. tie object of
so many earnest wishes! [ perceived
q new spot Of unusual magnitude aud
perfectly round, which had Just cn-
tered on the left limb Of the sun"
With the perfected instru NJ mentat!on
OF the present day the desired object
secms to have been obtained, and as
tronomy, which is said TO havo "stood
still for thousand years, from P.olemy
to kopler: has ut last made step for.
ward which may astonish, bene:i: aud
enlightcn the world
The observations Of the transit in
various parts Of the world on Tuesday
seem to have been attended in several
Localities. as was naturally to be ex-
pected. with disadvantages. and in one
Locality, at least, none could be made
at oil. Prof. Hall, chief of the Ame-
rican expedition in Siberia, in de-
spatch from the station ut Vladivosto,,
says that clouds obscnrcd the sun from
dawn until neur the arrival of the
critical moment, when all became
bright, and, as the planet advanced
and touched the suns limb, the mo-
ment " .s signuled with accuracy; bnt
owing to tho drifting of haze and
clouds between it was impossible to
obtain good photographs OF the con-
tact. The moment of the second con-
tact was obtained, however. although
tho vapory stntc Of the atmosphere
continued. When Venus bud crept
nearly half way ecross the solar disc
the haze disappeared sufficiently to
adnit OF Photographic hinges being
taken. Thirteen negatives were exc.
cuted, so that it will be possible to
map tho track of the planet on the
Photographic image Of the sun. Prof.
Davidson. chief astronomer of the
American expedition to Nagasaki, re-
ports that cloudy weather prevented
IN exact record oi the moment of first
contact, but the second WAS obtnined
with accuracy, and also about 200 mi
crometric measurements in the course
Of the observations. About sixty ex.
crileht photographs were taken Of the
4 Il II, Ia