The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-07
MERCURY's MOrENENTs.
Also the Movements of Photographers nna
Astronomers Earth.

The transit of Mercury, beside being OBJ
served Mt the Naval Observatory. Washington.
yesterday was also observed by Prof. New
comb and his assistants, who were pro-
vided with telescopes at the Nautical almanac
Office. The observations fully confirmed the
various rcsultsfor the motion OF the perihelion
Of Mercury. The internal contact was seen by
Prof. Newcomb Mt minutes 43 second past 10
o'clock this morning. only ten seconds earlier
than the time represented By various tables
The second internal contact was observed at 33
minutes 50 seconds past o'clock this after
noon. and the external contact 20 minutes and
80 seconds later. The planet through the tel
escopc appeared not larger than silver five
cent piece. There could not have been better
day for the observations. Prof. Hall superin-
tended the taking ot photographs of the pass.
ing planet These Photographic wcro produced
Ivy means OF the horizontal telescope and re-
Prot. Peters Of Hamilton College. Clinton. y.
thouph clouds intcrferrd with observations of
the Internal contact. The Professor is of opin-
ion that he discovered indications OF an atmos-
phcre in the planet.
The students oi the astronomy class at vassar
College took seven photography OF the transit
upon the suns disk wns splcndidy seen. and as
tie panei passcd along some oi the students
noted hao about II ,i IN the afternoon e Ent S
generally speaking all the observations were
successful.
The observations ut the Cambridge Ohseva-
tory were somewhat inicrfered with by clouds.
hut in the afternoon u clcar SKY anurl"d u most
favorable uuroriunity for observation. The
| contact took ulac" several seconds later tnan
| 1925 A. W. The general results are considered
| quite satisfactory.
! College Observatory was rs favorable as tho
weather would permit. Tho first contact was
| not taken. hut accurate measurements of the
planets position were made and the exact time
! recorded. Photographs were taken during the
| planet course and the ust tcpntact, internal ana
| eNterinl. was also ohtiincd. Noon signals
| from Washington to Amherst nre to be con.
| tinucd unit next Saturday, and It Is expected
| that the longitude of Amherst will be deter
| mined with rNHctness.
Tho transit WAS photographed in its different
syc"ue srr' and ID Eleventh street. Prof Alfred c.
| Compton of the College Oi tho City Of New losk
with class of past graduates. made careful OBJ
Prof. Compton said last evening that tho prac-
| tical value OF the Observations was to determine
| whether the tables in the nnuti"al ALMANAC.
giving the right ascension ana definition oi
| Mercury. nrc correct The mariner. by OBJ
serving the rising or setting oi Mercury at a
| given tim" on the ocean, my calculate hs
Whereabouts II the tables are wrong.
then the, navigator relying on them. Is
| misguided. The great astronomer Ia Nrr-
| ricr. arranged these mhlen and thus
far they hHyc boon found 10 he, almost
| absolutely correct. The last transit OF Mercury
/ was IN 1861. From observations then taken an
| error of 9-lO scconis was dis'oV red in the
tables. hut practically that Is of small account
yesterday at 10 h. l6 a when the LITTLE planet
seemed 70 make q minute indentaiion on the
| edge of the sun. Then IT appeared ike "a grain
| Of sand moving almost directly across the
! diameter Of the glowing disc. Mercury rarely
! moves over so large q space on the sun during
it, transit The tine Of tne transit WIS
made beforehand. The observations. so
far as ascertnined, tally exactly with the
predictions. Probably no correction Of
| the tables Will br necessary. Immediate
results cannot be had, because day or two
| be taken correct and
| different observations Throughout the country.
| The Professor said that his instruments were
| not powerful enough to detect the presence Of
an atmosphere abovr the little planet. As 10 the
| existence OF a planet nearer the sun than Mer-
curry. the transit OF the latter planet would not.
| except by the rarest chance. Ailorl any means
| Of solving the mystery. That rare chan r,'
| would only become certainty. when the
| nodes OF the inner planet. of Mcr'ury and
of the earth rum" into communion. Thousands
ot years might "lupse hcior" that could take
| place. Il is certain that II rrury Is disturb Il
hy some unknown attraction: but that h. ras lly
accounted for by a." known existence, OF
| myrads 4 meteors ihut must influence Mer-
| curry. Yet planet Vulcan may exist.