The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-12-07


astronomers, and, indeed, an important day
for all science. The planet Venus crosses
the suns disk only twice in something more
than century, and at this one of her cross
ings several important improvements in the
means for accurate observations will be for
the first time brought to bear on her during
her juxtaposition with the sun. The last
transit OF Venus was observed by astronomers
in 1859. The Photographic camera and the
spectroscope are now for the first time
to be used in watching and recording
the events of the transit. This therefore
is one of the best opportunities, since the
creation Of our planet, for the precise measure
ment of its distance from the sun, and for
the solution of many other scientific prob
lens in which the entire world is either
directly or indirectly interested. We publish
to-day an account OF the efforts of each of the
great powers of the earth to accomplish this
task, and an epitome OF similar exertions DUR
ing the transits Of the eighteenth century.
Accompanying the account are maps show
ing all the places on the earth's surface
from which the transit can be seen, and the
names and geographical positions of the
American stations
The cost Of solving those great problems
will be about million and half of dollars
but little money for SO gigantic and important
a piece Of surveying. But science is always
cheap. This cost is thus divided
The American expeditions viii cost $50 900
the EnRlisn expeditions, about. 100000
The German eXDeQlttOLS. about. 6O 600
rue Austrian. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 5000
me french..... so 900
The expenditures OF several other govern
nents. so lar as they are known to our
government Astronomers, VIII not exceed $1,000
making total of Ave hundred and thirty
nine thousand dollars But this is the expen-
diture only for instruments and special help
ers, assistants, &c. The salaries of govern
ment astronomers engaged in the work and
the expense Of fitting out and sending govern
ment and other vessels with the expeditions
add to this sum at least half million more.
The reduction Of the numerous OBSERVE
tions in the astronomical observatories of
the different governments cannot cost less
than one hundred thousand dollars more
and incidental expenditures which cannot be
foreseen will, it is thought, bring up the cost
of the observation to the civilized world to
about the sum named above, million and q
half
For this we shall know among many other
things, our distance from the source of light
and heat; and, having that, astronomers will
be able to calculate more accurately the dis
tances Of the other planets and of other celes-
tial bodies.
Our own observing stations have been
chosen with some care so as to obtain prob
ably fair day for the observers. From some
stations we shall know in few days what
good or i'll fortune attended the day; but we
can hardly expect to have detailed accounts
under . month hence and still more time
will be required before the reduction of
the observations by astronomers and mathe-
maticians at home shall give us that figure
which will thenceforth, and until the next
transit in 1882, be substituted in biographies,
books of astronomy, cyclop~dias and school
books for the present suns distance which is
already known to be erroneous.