The New York herald., 1876-10-02
The Scientific World in Expectation Of the
New Discovery.
vULCAN'S PULLING TRANSIT.
Leverrier's Calculations, Labors
and Predictions.
THE PROBLEMS OF THE SPHERES.

science, comes, in similar manner, to ioretcll the
passage OF Vulcan between the earth and the
sun. After Lcvcrriers triumph OF 1s46 he undertook
the gigantic task OF exploring tho paths OF all The
planets OF tho solar system with view ascertain
what further disturbances took place among those
worlds in making their endless circuits about the
II disturbances hitherto unnotced obscrv-
ablc IT would follow that o.hor planetary spheres
seen to men should exist produce them After throe
years labor this domain OF science Leverrier read
before the French Academy OF Sciences memoranda OF
further researches into the movements OF the planets
In 1858 he had far progressed that be presented to
the Academy tables OF the suns rotation, with CON-
pIee description OF that group OF numerous little
bodies. called asteroids which lily round The sun like
the other planets yet always keep between the path OF
Mars and that ni Jupiter.
SOURCE OF A FRESH DISCOVERY
AT length IN 1859, he observed slight perturbation
In point OF Mercury's path, which, astronomical
parance is called ns perihoon Tins term SIMPLY
denotes that point of planets track which Is nearest
the Leverrier observed that this point OF Mer
cury's track shifted littic IRON time TO time. His
conclusion that the change was duo TO tho pres
enco OF planetary bodies wheeling between
the sun and Mercury's track In September OF the
same year hc communicated those views to the
Academy. The publication ot this paper called forth
the account ol an observation taken several months
previously that caused stir IN scientific circles On
hearing OF Leycrrer's supposition Lcscarbauit prac
tisng physician IN the Department OF Eurc .oire
VINO also an amateur astronomer, declared that IN
the afternoon OF March % OF that year. while
ing the suns surface at Orgeres. he had round
body, like ptchy spcck smaller than Mercury, max
ing transit across tho SUMS face. II dred like the
other interior planets transit, from 10 west brt
its velocity greater than that ol either Mercury
Venue Impatient TO hear the details OF the new phe-
nomcnon Leverrcr, who AT that limo was invested
the title and iul authority OF Director OF the OBJ
servatory, FASTENED TO Orgeres to SEQ the physician
LEvERRIEa's VISIT TO The DIscovERER
Tho meeting oil the observers was rather stormy
Leverriei, nervous 10 find out whether his
correct and equally fearful OF decepton rushed into
the amateurs cfce and, thing but pacific Tone
exclaimed :-SIhcn, ~ Is you, sir, who pretend TO
have observed tho intra Mercuria planet and commit
ted the objectionable offence keeping your obsersa-
tons secret Tor nnc months.n The mild physician
excused nmselt and end-avored to calm the agitaed
scientist by declaring that he could not have presumed
trumpet his observations liko a professional
tronomcr and that he was waiting accounts OF ob
servations OF tho same occurrence that might have
been made by men moro prominent than himself.
Lcvcrrier impaticntly interrupted him. saying:-.
sWhere your records or thsl want to see all
the papers myself' The doctor went aside and rum
MAJ scd among some old papers Hc drew forth sad
looking which, cverrier said ''was covered
with iaudanum and grcasc' without waiting TO exam
inc all this document Leverrer breaks iorth, "Well,
we but the instruments, SIR; where are all your ap
piiances? your chronomctcr?n Lescarbaut pulls out
OF his vest pocket antcduvan watch OF gigantic di
mensions. Hs that IS useless for observations; 1t is
four minutes wrong now. Besides, 1t has no hand
Tor seconds How did you count secondsr'
THE ASTRONOMICAL PENDULUM.
Tho physician assures nm that ho kept the time
we'll produces ivory ball With thread tied to
It, winch he used rs pendulum Leyerrer hangs 1t
hook and sets It swayng 10 and fro. He times "
with his own chronometer watch. sYes; thai Is not
SO badn La slmilar way tho great astronomer pro-
ceeds 10 investigate every instrument and paper used
by Lescar3ault curing the supposed transit Many Of
the calculations incidental TO tho main features Of the
work, however, are not 10 be found. Tho ply
assures him that he has not had sufficient con-
vcniences for keeping them, and shows n huge,
smooth plank speckic with squadrons Of figures IN
lead pencil which no used during tho observation,
and which, when II was full. he brushed OF
with few sweeps OF pane HIS various
measurements OF the planets position on tho sun and
It's distances from the rim during various stages OF It's
transit still extan. in chalk on blackboard
Icverricr compares all the notes with the observers
letter respecting tho phenomenon ana hnds some
slight discrepancies between them whereupon lie again
becomes fred and avows that the observations have
been faisied LcscarUaut explains the trivial nature
OF the differences however, anu alter long and abori.
Investigation of the entire affair." Leverrier arrives
at the conclusion that the work was genuine, and
furthermore That the observed phenomenon was q
planet From the statistics furnished by Lesnr0ault,
The indciatgabe astronomer made an
ESTIMATE or TIE PLANETS POSITION
and path, and in the following year he commue. Ezw
10 tho Academy the details OF the observation anu ~.
own deductions. From tho statements then ma1c, J:
would appear ihA. The Clements oil the new planets 20
ston and orbit arc:-
Longitude OF ascending node, IL deg % min
Inclination OF orbit, IL deg 10 min.
scmi-axis major o. l43
Da,ly heloccnlric motion. is dog. 10 min.
yer,ud OF revolution. 10 days ana houra
Greatest pos ble clongation, 3 deg.
SUMS apparent width Ihereirom. deg 80 min.
SUMS apparent width this apparent diameter TO Us
Mean distance from the sun 10, ,os2, 900 miles
From the observations made by Mr. Lummis, Of Man.
Schmidt which were alluded to 10 the HERALD oil Sep
81 the following liable has been constructed by
Vaz:-
Longitude OF ascending node SO deg 90 min.
Inclination oil orbit 10 deg. 81 min.
Daiy hclocentric motion. 20 deg 80 min.
DAILY hcliocontric motion IA second estimae) II deg
80 min.
Distance from sun, Il. 07e, 900 miles
Scmi-axis major. 1872.
Raaau Offers Tho following as the most probable ng.
ures respecting Nulcnn:-
Scmiaxis major, .l44
IL utix u,.ffo daO min
Heliocentric daily motion, 10 deg. % min.
solar distance. IL. l76, 600 miles.
EXPLANATION OF TnE TRANSIT.
II We conceive Vuicans track 10 be ring of silver
round tho SUM- we, in going round, would the sun
apparently collidng with opposite points OF said ring
twice year These Two opposite points Of that crcle
arc vulcan's nodes. Every year pass the
points Of that track. Vulcan passes through thcm
every three weeks But Vulcan plays sort OF hide
and -sceg with u.s. so that when he passes through a
node the earth Is either too early or too late
10 SEQ him move directly between her ana tho
sun Sometimes IT happens, however, that both get
there about the time, IN which observer
the earth may perceive tho planet passing between
US aud the sun when that planet Is said to bo in
transit. The earth passes OF the nodes OF Vulcan
about April and the opposite node about October
For days before after these datcx Vulcan
happens pass the noue. he will appear like dark
spot projected on the suns face.
The rag mado by Vulcan hes 10 space that half or
ircs below the level ot the earths circle and half
above It, Vulcan Is at present moving upward and
pass from tho lower to the upper part OF his track
during the coming transit. Hence this node OF Oclo
ber Is called the ascending node.
rms OCCURRENCE AZ VIEWED PROM THE srx.
To an observer 81 the sun TO day the earth would
seem sweeping gradually toward this point OF her
track, considerably ahead OF Vulcan. but the latter
orb would be seen 10 move much lasicr and gain
rapidly upon the earth. This planetary would be
kept np until the morning OF tho Sd inst, when vul-
can in track parlancc, would come up neck and
neck with the eartn and after momentary aglc,
rush past, and each body would pursue It's
M before. Tho point ut which tho Garth Is
outstrippcd is the place aud time of the transit.
Could tbo solar observer tho OF the earth
he would see IL dcckcd with parallel telescopes and
hundred eyes turned sunward watching the planetary
struggle intentIy as though IL wcrc with the
fiery and their fortunes were saked the result
The reported transit OF 1882 vowed by Mr.. LummIs
In all probability that oil Vulcan. inasmuch
the date OF the observation March 20 carly TO
admit OF transit In further
EXPLANATION or STATISTICS
above enumerated II may be said that the apparent
breadth OF the sun rs viewed from Vulcan is almost
times great seems TO In other words
the suns surface looks ity times great, and the
amount of light and heat poured down on the Vulcan