New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-08

Every member recognized that tiiis 40 "o'
time to ask the Nation to spend money.
The proposition to foregO transit observa-
tons in 1882 must bring sigh to the lips
of the older vOtaries of astronomy. Those ex-
peditions to the furthest isles of the sea and 10
Arctic and Antarctic zones, to witness the pas
sage of Venus over the disk of the sun, are part
of the romance of science. The last occasion OF
the sort called forth the assistance of the ma
tons that hold the lead in modern clvllHa-
ton, and secured the aid of the finest tai
ent astronomy can offer. Large sums OF
money were spent; great efforts were
made; severe hardships endured. 1t may
be properly said that all the resources OF
modern science were employed. There was
great generalization upon the safe return OF
all the expeditions, when a general account
was taken, and it was found that nearly every
one of them had succeeded in obtaining It's
record. Ever since then, the cOmputers have
been at work, under the guidance OF eminent
chiefs, and by various methods, to obtain the
final results. AT last as one by zone the cal
culatons approach completeness, the melancholy
truth begins to dawn upon the astronomers.
The observations of the last transit of Venus
leave quite as wide margin Of error as the
previous ones. The figures prove nothing
new. We know just what we did before, ana
there * little prospect of adding by tins means
one iOta to our present knowledge. The Wlde
range Of uncertainty which attends similar
work was well illustrated on Monday by the
varying results and numerous failures IN re-
cording the transit of Mercury. Yet that was
a case where the astronomers were generally
Al = l.. with MI
they were wholly familiar, and surrounded
with every appliance for the task.
As Professor NewcOmb quantity remarked
there is a strange fatality about the palailaX
I'm one instance. two astronomers OF emlnence
Zone of them was the late NJ. lie Yerrier), after
working for years at the problem by two es-
sentially different methods finally reached the
same result within trifling fraction. Such
coincidence might have settled any other
question in science. But it has since been
found that neither of these results was trust
worthy. and when both were corrected they
proved discordant The Astronomer Royal Of
England has recently announced as his COM
putation from the British observations on the
last transit of Venus, certain figures for the
suns distance which were discarded years
mg in the sharp fires of criticism applied
to them by his brother ASTRONOMERS
Professor Ncwcomb had, few years since,
assigned certain figures as a near approach to
the solution; he obtained them chiefly by tie
consideration of the results from all good
sources and methods and his compromise was
generally accepted in this country. At the
recent meeting of Che Academy he expressed
bis doubts on the point, and named different
value, rs the one which he thought. would
probably be decided upon. Professor Young
thcrcupon stated that he had just learned that
Il fresh computation, by another astronomer,
had obtained from the British observations
exactly the new figures which Professor New
comb had Just said he WAS willing TO adopt.
Here was another extraordinary coincidence;
and yet, after all, it proves nothing.
The chief source Of all this trouble is prob
ably in the sun itself. This is one of the strang
est things of modern discovery. The sun is
believed now to be n mere ball Of glowing caS,
of which the outlines are constantly chang
ing. Its edge may acquire bulge" Dr.
Young says, OF perhaps thousand miles III a
few hours, which would render worthless all
calculations based on observing the instant
when Venus touched or left its outline. This
would seem to settle the question as to tie
list fulncss of sending observers to the antip-
odcs or the polar regions to witness a transit.
There are simpler and far less costly means
for solving the problem at home, and there
is more chance Of discovering something use
full in experiments on the velocity Of light
than in boarding parties of Observers ut Gov
eminent expense on distant and dcsolate
islands At all events the astronomers are en-
titled to credit for themselves proposing TO re-
licve the nation of a heavy expense.