The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-13
The Transit OF Mercury and the In
ter.Mercurial Body.

on May yield varying results, the
planet in some instances being appar-
emily found to he ahead and in others
behind predicted time. A large num-
Der of excellent photographs were,
however, obtained, and by the aid of
these and comparison of the data de-
termined in various localities reliable
results will probably be reached. AT
the Naval Observatory, in Washington,
Prof. Newcomb found that the planet
came into view twenty seconds ahead
of the time predicted by Lsverrier and
more than minute ahead of the Ameri-
can table. The statistics are as fol-
lows: Internal contact at ingress, from
Leverrier's tables, 1Oh. Am. 53sec.; OBJ
servation, lob. Am. 38sec. Internal
contact at egress, from Leverrier's ia
bles, 5h. GAM. 17sec.; observation, oh.
33m. 51sec.
The object of observing the transit OF
Mercury is altogether different from
that sought in observing the transit Of
Venus. In the latter case the aim was
to determine the suns distance from
the parallax, and to this end the OBJ
servatiOns were made from localities
on the earth's surface where the latter
was greatest. Mercury is situated at a
much greater distance from the earth
than Venus, and its orbit is smaller,
while it is SO difficult of observation
that the position of its orbit is very inn
perfectly known, q fact indicated by the
difference above noted between Lever
rier's and the American tables. Now,
if accurate data relative to this orbit
can he obtained, in such lies the deter
mination of the question of the exist
ence of the alleged Vulcan or inter-
Mercurial planet. 1t will be remcm-
bered that, by observing the perturba-
tions of Uranus, Leverrier reached
the conclusion that the same could not
be produced save by the influence OF
some undiscovered planet, and assum-
ing the existence of this body he calcu-
lated its position, and on pointing his
telescope to the point in the heavens
where his calculations led him to be-
lieve it would be found he made the
magnificent discovery of Neptune.
Reasoning analogous to this induced
him always to believe in the existence
of some body which causes the pertur-
bations of Mercury. He found that the
perihelion of that planet advances
much more rapidly than can be ac-
counted for by any definitely known
disturbing cause. In other words. as
the planet sweeps around the sun in its
nearly circular path and reaches the
point nearest the sun (the latter being
eccentrically placed as regards the or
bit), it advances about 246 miles, or
ne-thirteenth of its diameter, ut each
recurring revolution. As the planet
approaches its aphelion the effect of q
large motion Of the perihelion would
be to cause the planet to be further adj
vanced in its orbit, and hence the time
of transit would be fastened, and this
would point to the existence, or rather
tend to confirm Leverrier's hypothesis.
of some unknown attracting matter ex-
exiting an influence.
That this result has been realized by
he observations of Prof. Newcomb is
evident FROM the foregoing figures, and
the same appears to be true from most
of the uncorrected data telegraphed by
other observers throughout the country
to the daily journals.
Of course, admitting the probable
presence of an undiscovered attracting
body TO be substantiated, it by no
means follows that that body may be
the imaginary Vulcan. 1t may simply
be an aggregation of meteoric masses,
or matter existing in the corona and
protuberances of the sun itself.
The observations of the total solar
eclipse Of July % next will perhaps
shed some light on this last possibility,
and may even be the means Of reveal
ing Vulcan, if it exists, as one of our
correspondents, who has made that
supposititious planet the object of much
study, published the fact some time ago
that Vulcan ought to be quite near the
sun at the time mentioned. Meantime,
in order to know exactly how far the
results Of the recent observations tend
to substantiate the conclusion indicated,
II win b necessary 10 wait until the