The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-01-05

TIE BOY ASTRONOMER. The first transit
Of Venus ever seen by human eye was
predicted by boy, and was observed by
that boy just as he reached the age Of
manhood. His name was Jeremiah Hor.
rox. We have a somewhat wonnerful
story to tell you about this boy.
He lived in an obscure village near
Liverpool, England. He was lover Of
the books of science, and before nc reach
ed the age Of eighteen he had mastered
the astronomical knowledge of the day.
He studied the problems of Kepler, and
he made the discovery that the tables of
Kepler indicated the near approach Of
the period of the transit of Venus across
the suns center. This was about the
year 1886.
Often on midsummer nights the boy
Horrox might have been seen in the fields
watching the planet Venus. The desire
sprung up within him to see the transit Of
the beautiful planet across the disk of the
sun, for it was sight no eye had ever
seen, and one that would tend to solve
some of the greatest problems ever pre-.
sented to the mind Of tie astronomer.
So the boy began to examine the astro.
nomicsl tables Of Kepler, and by their aid
and endeavor to demonstrate at what
time the next transit would occur. He
found an error in the tables, and then be,
being the first of all astronomers to make
the precise calculation, discovered tho ex-
act date when the next transit would take
place.
He told his secret to one intimate
friend, boy who, like himself, loved sci.
ence. The young astronomer then await
ed the event which he had predicted for
number Of years, never seeing the
loved planet in the evening sky without
dreaming Of the day when the transit
should fulfill the beautiful vision be car.
ried continually in his micd.
The memorable year came at last
1889. The predicted day of the transit
came, too, at the end of the year. II
found Horrox, the boz astronomer, now
just past twenty years of age, intently
watching a sheet of paper, in private
room, on which lay the suns reflected
image. Over this reflection of the suns
disc on the paper, he expected moment
after momeut, to see the planet pass like
moving spot or shadow.
Suddenly the church bells rang. lie
was very religious youth, and was ac
customed to heed the church bells as G
call from heaven. The paper was still
spotless; no shadow broke the outer
edge of the suns luminous circle.
Still the church bells rang. Should
he go2 A cloud might hide the sun be.
fore his return, and the expected dsclo
sure be lost for century.
But Horrox said to himself: mus
not neglect the worship of the Creator tc
see the wonderful thing the Creator ha
made"
So he left the reflected image of th,
sun on the paper, and went to the sane
tuary.
When he returned from the service hi
hurried to the room. The sun was still
shining, and there, like shadow on th
bright circle on the paper, was the imag
of the planet Venus 1t crept elowl,
aious .Lo L.;sht center, IKE tne n"so' y
the Invisible. Then the boy astronome
knew that the great problems of astrono
my were correct, and the thought file'
his pure heart with religious joy.
Horrox died at the age Of twenty-five
Nearly one hundred and thirty years al
terward, Venus was again seen crossing
the sun. The whole astronomical worl
was then interested in the event, and ex
peditions Of observation were fitted GU
by the principal European governments
1t was observed in this country by Davi
Rittenhouse, who tainted away when h
saw the vision HEzEKIAH BUTTER
WORTH, in St. Nicholas.