New-York tribune., 1875-03-08
VENUS AND THE SUN.
RESULTS OF OBSERVATIONS ON THE
TRANSIT.

FROM ALL THE AMERICAN PARTIEs--sUFtlCfANi
MATERIAL FOR CALCULATION OBTAINED AT BOTH
THE NORTH AND soUTH-coMPARIsoN WITH IRE
WORN OF OTHER NATIoNs-How THE rhoio-
GRAPHS WILL BE UsED-CoLIATERAL DIsCoV-
ERiEs OF IMPORTANCE
As reports are now at hand from all the American
stations where the transit of Venus was Observed
the opportunity is afforded to summarize the work
effected by our astronomical parties, and to give
some opinion as to the part our eountrymen viii be
able to take IN determining problem Of the highest
importance to astronOmy-a question upon whose
answer depend the distances. measurements, and
weights of every of the heavenly bodies the
moon only excepted. Nest readers being by this
time familiar with the terms employed IN
describing the transit, il may be unneces-
sary here to mention that the first contact"
refers TO the approach of the edge of Venus
70 the outer edge of the the second contact"
the moment when the edge of Venus first ceases TO
touch the edge of the because the planet appears
entirely within the suns disk; the third contact
is when Venus having crossed the SUMS disk, though
stll inside it, touches again the edge of the sun the
fourth contact is the moment when the planet
and the sun part finally. Beginning with the most
northerly of the American stations the reports may
be briefly summarized as follows: At VladivOstock
in latitude AZ z n. and longitude b. AZ m E.. dur
ing the morning the southern wind. peculiar to that
locality spoiled what had promised to be perfect
day for the transit. Till a. m there had ,been
clear sky and everything looked favorable. But the
haze which the southern wind brought was so dense
that at first it seemed if the Photographic
work would be entirely lost, because
the slight reflective power of the surface of
the uDsvered mirror would not give a sufficiently
bright image Of the sun. The telescope work, how
ever by both Prof Hall and his assistant Mr.. o. b.
Wheeler redeemed the first part of the transit from
total loss In the midst of the transit the cOOdiOn
made more sensitive, and before its conclusion
thirteen photographs, good in detail were secured
II is to be regretted that the discovery that sill
vered mirror necessary to insure strong pic
ture in the event of the constantly recurring haze
in the peculiar climate of Vadivostock, not made
before the expedition sailed. As Venus approached
the third contact the haze grew more intense that
contact was barely seen by the telescope, and be-
fore the fourth contact the view of both the sun
and Venus was entirely obscured.
Coming south To Peking in latitude 39o 81 n,
and longitude b. 46 min. f., the most recent news
proved more favorable than that of the early tele
grams. All four of the contacts observed and
90 pictures taken. Part Of the transit was OBJ
scured by clouds and haze but they cleared away
in time to give a fair view OF the last contacts
No black drop was visible at any time. Many of
the pictures believed TO be free from the disturb
ing ln1uence OF maze, aJ least % Delng
and 50 or 40 others being serviceable; the work of
Prof. Watsons party will probably prove among the
best obtained, though Prof Young of Dartmouth
College, who had joined the party. foiled in his
endeayOr to obtain spectTOscOpc observations. The
time of the last two contacts is stated minute
earlier than that given by the calculations
from our National Almanac. Great interest
attaches to Peking observations, account
OF remark attributed TO Prof Neweomb as
being made by him after he had heard the news
from southern stations TO the effect that if those
at PekinC were successful we the Americans had
all we needed. No ii this country is better
qualified TO give an opinion on the subject
From Nagasaki. the last of the northern stations,
IN latitude33 - n. and longitude h. 80 min. E.,
abundant details have been furnished of the work
accomplished by Prof. Davidson aad his assistants
The first contact was obscured by clouds; the
second was well seen, and showed no liganept or
black drop Prof. Davidson summarizes the work
as follows
During the day there no time after 10 m. when
the sun sLone from Dl1e sky T1e upper stratum OF
acted a to tne suG's heavy rays. and
the atmosphere quite steady. OBJECTS at distance
dark bnt clearly defined OF photographs we got
drt contact, aud only began 10 receive them
when the planet was half on. After that we obtained
about 60 good ones. Altogether. with the sec
oud contact the micTOmetrc measures. the meridian
tran.'s the different declinauons, and the photo
GRAPHS, believe We have more than average ga tsfac
Results Our observed hrst and second contacts
about min As after American almanac data,
about min. 80 after the English. The third
c0-tact was near the American data.
AMERICAN STATIONS IN SOUTH SEA ISLANDS
Turning now to cur southern stations, at Camp
beltown. Tasmania, in latitude Al 5G5 and longi-
tude h. 50 min. b.. it appears that cloudy weather,
with rain ana wind, continued for several weeks
previous, and until the very DAY and hour of the
planets crossing All hopes of securing even a sin
gle photograph were given up for telegrams from
far and near spoke of the heavy cloud bank,
even on the morning of the transit. But before 12
o'clock Venus the disk, and. in spite of
the rain and clouds which interrupted from time 10
time 50 photographs of the whole SUM- and a of the
limb near the third and fourth contacts were OBJ
tanned. The third contact observed telescope
cally, and micrometer measures made. On the
whole the party under Capt. Raymond met with
fan success.
Al Hobart Town, Tasmania latitude 43 O s., and
longitude b. 40 min. E., the party under Prof.
Harkness had an experience somewhat similar to
that at CamPbelltown having heavy clouds and
drizzhng rain for a week before, and even on the
morning of the transit, which began about noon. At
1880 through break In the clouds Venus was seen
on the suns disk. Then heavy rain fell till 2:45
sfJer which occasional light rain and clouds in
terfered but photographs were taken every minute,
and near the third contact every second, about 200
being secured in all, Of which 81 of the whole sun
and 20 of Venus. near and the suns edge are
believed 10 be valuable.
From Chatham Island, in latitude AZ s and 10 n
gitude ~ h. 13 min. T., the brief in dispatch
the Navy Department, sent from New Zealand by
Capt. Chandler of the Swatara, unfortunately dis
pel the hopes that had been based on rumors pub
lished in The Ner-ZeIland Southern Cross. Reports
were said TO have been brought by whalers that the
Talo nj