The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-05-04

his memoir on the transit, that tho En-
glish predictions would be considerably
10 error" on account Of the adoption oi
an apparent diameter for the sun which
was deduced from meridian observations
only, and we may note that nearly all the
English observers have reported an error
in the neighhorhood OF two minutes in
their predicted times of first contact. 1t
seems to be finally settled, if indeed there
was any doubt about it previously, that
different apparent diameters must be
used for the sun in reducing meridian
observations, and for such observations as
eclipscs and transits of the inferior plan.
cts. This is quite analogous to the fact
that the moons diameter from occulta-
tons is considerably smaller than that
derived from meridian observations.
Professor Watson also notes certain evi.
dences of an atmosphere surrounding We.
nus, and from his observations at third
contact obtains an approximate value for
its depth.
The American party at Kerguelen
Land under Lieutenant. Commanders
Ryan and Train, has been only partially
successful. Neither of the internal con.
facts was observed, but some photographs
were taken. The English party on the
same island observed the ingress and
egress, the latter observation being salts.
factory. All the English photographs
we're poor The day was generally
cloudy, but enough have been secured to
compensate the observers for their devo.
ton, as this station is peculiarly valuable.
From the party at Chatham Island, un.
der Assistant Edwin Smith, of the Coast
Survey, we learn that nothing valuable
in the way of observations of the transit
could be obtained, on account of clouds.
1t must be remembered, however, that
each Of the parties has made important
geographical magnetic and other deter.
limitations, and that no one of our expe.
ditlons will return without completing its
work Of this kind, which work has a val.
ne quite independent of its bearing on
the main question of the suns paralax.
On the whole, the success has been
marked; and although only one party
professor Watson's) observed all the
contacts, and only one professor Peters's)
obtained very complete set of photo.
graphs, yet the ensemble Of the observa.
tions OF the Americans alone would suffice
for an extrer ely accurate determination
Of the parallax.
The experience gained in these expedi.
tions will be turned to good account il
1878 and in 1882, in which years tran.
sits Of Mercury and Venus occur, both
being visible in America. The reports oil
all the parties Indicate satisfaction with
the apparatus provided for them and il
the matter OF Photographic arrangements
the American outfits were particularly y
good, both theoretically and practically
and this perfection reflects great credit or
the gentlemen who had these preparation.
in charge. The highest testimonial had
been offered by :he Transit of Venu,
Commission to DR.. Henry Draper as al
acknowledgment Of his great land gratui
.o-~} s~.';~~o so Ps.iootius tho Yrautica
details Of the Photographic processes
charge for which he was peculiarly fttet
by his long experience in such researches
Detailed accounts of the physica
phenomena OF the transit will not be
available for some time but We note the
remarkable observation of Jansen il
Japan and De la Grye at Campbell Island
which declared Venus to have been seer
projected against the suns corona while
yet some distance from suns disk, Pre-
liminary reports Indicate that Professor
Watson's account Of the atmosphere O
Venus will be corrcborated by severa
good observers 1t may likewise be noted
that the question as to the existence of {
satellite to Venus is now finally settled il
the negative.