The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-09
FIRST. VIEW OF VULCAN.
INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR WATSON, OF
MICHIGAN UNlvERsiTY = HOW HIS oBsERvA-
TONS WERE MADE AND RECORDED.

INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR WATSON, OF
MICHIGAN uNlvERsiTY HOW HIS oBsERvA-
IIoNs WERE MADE AND RECORDED.
From the Chicago Times. August a.
Professor james Watson, Of tho chair OF astronomy
In tho University OF Michigan, passed through the
city yesterday afternoon on his way 10 Ann Arbor.
he is on his ro.urn from Wyoming, whither he wen.
to take observations during tho recent total eclipse,
aud whero hs himself with glory by discover
ing the supposed intrs-MsrcuriaI piaDot Vulcan.
Professor WATSON accompanied by his wife, .
lady OF strkingy Intelligent features. She Is nne
astronomer and student being scarcely Inferior 10
her husband In this regard. She goes With him all
ant The Professor spoke Of the high services which
sue mud rendered whiie they were ~ China, during
the transit OF Venus ana white On THIS recent "Trip.
reporter OF the 1tUtes met him In tho Central rail-
way station, Ut tho loot OF Lake street,
''what was tte special purpose Tor which you went
to the m0untsins rroossorY Was II to observe the
eclipse Or to search for tho supposed pianetf"
ri won't for tho exclusive purpose OF looking Tor
the supposed planet between Mercury aud tho
had sketches OF the corona made by my vile. by Gov
ernor Hoyt, OF Wyoming. and by Mr. Talbot oi sioux
Guy. Iowa. aud l hau u telescope borrowed IRON the
Micnigan State Normal school, Al Ypsanti, and es-
poclay lifted Tor the WORK. paid no attention to
The eclipse.n
"What we're the circumstances Of your discovery oil
Vulcan Z"
II found a star Of four aud a half magnitude,
which had decided disk and was III u position Ia
which there Is no known star. looked particularly
10 see whether there was any eI0ngatton, such az
u
with respect the sun but II had none. The brief
period Of the observations did not permit me to
change the power oil the telescope. Having found
the object u important to got It's position he
method which employed obv,ztes entirely the dan
ger OF error from wrong circle readings. In place Of
the usual hour and decnation circles subst itutcd
disks covered with cardboard, ana by means OF q
pointer the place oil object was marked by sharp
pencil. la this way recorded the POSITIONS Of tho
planet "a nolghboring star and the sun. Aud these
paper circles can now be placed upon dividing en-
rine ana read with cntire accuracy. Professor New
NJ Wue uuI I.ucK mr. nj I'm GLAND
vcfe the relative positions oil tho sun anu the planet
shown lheso circles before The inst rument was
mako any calculations 10 determine whether tais OBJ
jcct Is Identical with the reported small spots
upon the sun, when may nave been due TO the transit
OF an iutra- Mercuriai planet across It's disk. have
made an approximate measurement OF the paper cir
cles place of the planet Is found 10 be- right
ascension, eignt hours and twenty-sx minutes; de-
cnnation, eighteen degrees, north"
"ruere were several other astronomers out there
searching Tor the planet Why, 40 you think. wero
Their efforts unrewardedf"
III have some oil them aud they say they aid
not it. But the trouble tney mad eitner too
small optical power to objects Of that degree Of
brancy else high power that Ia smiling IRON
Que field 10 another they passed OBJECT,
having no reference points Ia changing the Held. l
used power OF foriy-L with telescope OF iour
inches aperture aud before searching 1 had commit
ted 10 memory the relative position Of all the stars
down to the seventh magnitude In The vicinity OF the
suns place"
.Prolcssor Lewis swift, OF Rochester, thinks that
he. too, found tue Same object"
"Yes; am glad VI that Tor u confirms the dis
mountains scepcs as to my discovery, although
most OF them have since become convinced. But
swIs discovery Strengthens the acis oi The planets
existence aud It's discovery"
s'Can any further observations DO made OF that
planet except during total eciipsesf"
In case any spots heretofore observed the solar
disk be identified as this planet transit thou
Will be possible determine tho elements oil las orbit,
~ when THINK IL viii DO possible, wih suitable
exclude tno direct gh OF tue sun, 10
observe near rs olongatioDs, using OF course,
telescope OF great aperture and high magniIytng
power. Mr. lanyard, vl England, has informed mo
that Is pretty that he has tho place OF
the planet ono of Tho Photographic plates taken
during The totaiity. These Will Dc carefully examined
Tor that purpose. tho planet snone with u rudy
light winch would give IL less actinic po~or than In
the OF "a star"
"Did you cxpoet to Dnd Il when you went out
Their. Z"
"wol, yes; I somehow believed that should see IL.
satisfied that there was planet within tue orSit
Mercury lust satisfied that there ~ outside
the orbit of Neptune Tho porturbations oil thosa
planets. ana some other pbcnomena, cannot DO ex-
planned on any other hypothesis. SO whom went
mined to sweep south the sun. and to keep within
a small space. We had but three aud oao-naIi min
utos und tho tmc short to try to get ovor
great n space. 1 meant 10 search that mucn thor
ouguy aDo reduce the amount for future astrono-
mere should l not succeed. IL was on the NTH
sweep that 1 saw the object. IL seemed about us
largo as two-shiiing piece, did not have 80 many
rays u star, and without the cloDgation oil a
comet. As soon as saw my attention was attracted
/ next fvlt certain l mad found what was looking
for."