Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-09

a Scientific Report from Column.
bta College.
Courier J oarnsI Special

49, AFNNA.A
NEW YORK, December 6.-Despite
the mournful DEMONSTRATIONS Of the
msteorologists, which sent astrono-
mers to bed with heavy hearts Tues.
day night, to-day turned out to be q
day of reasonably clear weather, and
the long heralded passage Of the planet
Venus across the disc of the u was
visible here throughout its entire
duration. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
at critical moments interfered with
the scientific value Of most Of the re-
corded observations. Prof. j. K. Rees,
Of Columbia college, improyised a
station on the roof OF the unfinished
observatory.
The results Of the observations
made ProfessorRee gave to a Tribune
reporter as follows:
Il took my place at the instruments
at nine hours and three minutes, at
which time the edge OF the sun was
very unsteady, and there was some in
terference from the clouds, which
were rather heavy, and were ranged
in parallel bands. At nine hours and
seven minutes the sun began to show
more clearly through an extended
clearing in the sky; still the seeing
was not good, and | changed the
magnifying power Of the eye-piece
from l66 10 48. At nine hours, eight
minutes and forty seconds, the seeing
became very good, and Venus was
noticed indenting the suns disc.
The first contact had evidently taken
place some time before, at q time
which | place approximately at nine
hours, seven minutes and twenty
seconds. At about niue hours and
sixteen minutes the sun came out
more clearly, and | changed tho
power Of the eye piece back to 165.
At nine hours, twenty-one minutes
and hity.one seconds that portion of
the disc of Venus not in the sun, in
extent a little less than half, was out
lined by . semi-circle Of light, which,
at nine hours, twenty.four minutes
and eleven seconds, became beauti-
fully distinct. This phenomenon, for
which astronomists were on the
lookout, was undoubtedly due to the
refraction OF the suns light through
the atmosphere of Venus.
"At9 hours, Is Minutes and 81
seconds Venus was seen clearly on the
disc Of the sun, giving the second CON
tact. Between the second and third
contacts observations showed that the
blackness Of Venus disc was not uni
form under moments Of clear defni-
ton, faint patches of white were seen,
aud at other times, especially while
she vas approaching the third contact,
the edge of Venus, with the exception
Of a small portion Of the following
edge, appeared to be considerably
darker than the center.
Toward the third contact the air
began to grow hazy, although with a
msgDiiying power of 165 we could
see the image very distinctly. l noted
the third contact at two hours, fifty
two minutes and five seconds. After
that the sky grew more hszier and
rather cloudy, and | substituted a
rejecting wedge for the Pickering
eye-piece Of the telescope, which gave
me more light. The unsteadiness
Of the atmosphere made it
impossible longer to use the high.
magnifying power, and l changed it
for one Of ninety-6ve dianeters. With
this | made the observation Of the
last contact, which was called at three
hours, eleven minutes, forty-three
seconds, but the sky was in such a
condition that | could not consider
the observation a good one"
"All the figures | have given may
have to be corrected finally, after |
have figured my comparisons but they
will not change much. They repre-
sent the mean time Of Columbia
College" g.