The New York herald., 1876-11-05
TRANSIT OF VULCAN.

THE ASTRONOMER LIE vERRIER CoRRECTs RE-
CENT MIsAPPREHENsIoN-wHAT HE SAID
DIFFERENT FROM THE CABLED STATEMENTS
NO TRANSIT OF VULCAN ANNOUNCED.
PARIS, Oct. 20, 1876.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Tho insuficiency Of tcegraphic communications
when treating delicate scientific questions has brought
about misun1ersa nding between my contreres here
and my friends in America which desire to dispel
l have in no way announced transit OF the planet
Vulcan. Professor X. Wor OF Zurich, Switzerland
thought that round, black spot observed upon the
on April 4, 1876, might be the return Of un
known body whose transit ~as remarked in 1920 by
Stcinhubel and 1859 by Lcscarbault In the Inter-
national Bulletin of the Observatory OF Paris septem
ber %. which send you herewith, replied by say
ing:--' IF these three apparitions from the
body this body will repass The the I'd
Sd of October, the 9th or 10th following" II was
decide upon this poin: that proposed TO Mr. Henry
the eminent secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
an attentive observation OF the the periods
mentioned. On September a. however, NJ vcntosa,
OF Madrid, wrote letter showing that tho spot pre-
viousiy observed by Wcbcr was simply an ordinary
solar spcck. According to this the question only
be settled BY proof OF the transit In October.
Perhaps it will be considered that knowing before
hand they could not succeed the astronomers sus-
pended observations Wo did not consider It possible
The question presents itself It's light novel light
which ask permission TO elaborate. As you stated
the HERALD OF october 4, 1876 in refusing 10 group
the three observations OF Stcinhube Lcscabaut and
Weber, had recognized that the fve observations Of
Fritsch, Decnppis, Sideboham, Lescarbault and Lum
might the other hand belong to the transit OF
body and that all represented il with the utmost
exacttude by an orbit OF revolution OF 33 o. II
In view Of this new theory that II became
sary to investigate the periods OF ulteror transits
The different Intervals between the lransits Of Venus
are gnown the greater 100 years; the lesser, eight
The planet Mercury also has particular periods and
planet in the transits. These transs, in effect
regulated by period OF years. during which
the transs OF the planet across the sun occur and ar
terward IT may not occur for several years.
Several astronomers and the sa,antM NJ. Gould among
others, II my memory does not deceive me, have
remarked that taxing the observ ons OF Lcscarbaut
and Lummis they have searched the same region Of
such they described The fact is explained day
According to the note which addressed to you to
NJ Gould, my contr,re Of Cordoba, you will that
Messrs Lescarbaut aud Lummis observed that at Tho
end OF certain series OF ransits nothing further
seon for seven or eight years BY the table you Will
also at glance In 1875 the transit tho sun
IN october, by distance OF IL deg. from
the node, was doubtful but not absolutely mpossble
while In 1877 there will be autumn transit, that il
will be necessary to wait from this year until after
1880 You Will therefore see the reason which led me
20 believe tho necessity Of permitting the asrono-
mers TO continue their researches, Notwithstanding
the uncertainty oil the result
Another important question presents ITSELF VIII
there be transit during the spring OF 1872 Tho
junction with the sun should take place March % 1877
at distance OF 10 deg min. from the node
q
well as the inclination OF l2 deg, there would be
transit: but IL would como very near. IL would bo
necessary to diminish The inclination somewhat TO
change the longitude OF the node litteyery accept
able notifications. Astronomers will doubtless desire
to bc very careful any observations of the phc
nomenon, because there will be other after
the coming spring until 1885, to be exact There
would be no other resource from this period except
searching directly beyond the sun. Ny COL
leagues, Mr.. Peters. OF Clinton. N. ", and Mr.. Wat
son, OF Ann Arbor Mich, will probably test this mat
ter, and, hope, succeed
Surprising tnat the five observers whose obscrva-
tions served us as point OF departure de-
ceved then are VIC not deceived. Upon what, would
remark, however could base the OF th
OF them? For three of the observations would suffice
TO establ sh the results which wish at the
others would change nothing. l remain, yours truly,
LIE yERRIER