Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-29
II HEAVENS.
The Transit OF Venus to Occur
December sixth.

Ihe approaching transit OF Venus
across the suns disc, 10 take place
December 9th, will be an event OF
unusual interest and Importance TO
the astronomers. ani relatively to
people in general. All the civil,
lied countries OF the globe have sent
out scientific parties to observe and
record the various features Of the
occurrence with as much Of distinct
ness and detail as is possible in these
matters; aud it is confidently antici-
pated that with so much Of watching
IN so many different quarters the main
different quarters the main point iu-
volved-lhe determination Of the dis
lance Of the earth from the sun--will
be placed beyond conjecture. Our
own country has eight separate par
ties of observers in the field,
four Of them in foreign lands, supplied
with the best of instruments, and
amply qualified in every respect to do
us credit in this strife for scientific
honor; for American astronomers, BY
the way, are among the foremost in
the world at this time. The venerable
Professor Simon Newcomb, is in
charge of a party at Cape Town,
Africa; Lieutenant Very, of the navy,
is at Santa Cruz, Patagonia; Edwin
Smith, of the Coast Survey, and
Professor Pritchett, OF Missouri, are
in New Zealand; Professor Lewis
Boss has a party at Santiago, Chill;
and the four parties on this hemi
sphere are in New Mexico, Texas,
Florida and Washington City. .
This coming transit will be the first
one since that of December 8, 1874
but we shall not have another one for
l22 years, or until June7 1904 There
are but four traosits in every 235
years, and they travel in pairs with
intervals OF eight years between the
two transits in each pair, the more
extended intervals being between the
pairs. The present one pairs with
that of 1874, and after it, as we have
noted, will ensue q space of more than
a century.
The short duration Of this Deem
Der transit will offer only a limited
chance Tor observation; hence the
careful preparations for viewing it in
so many different quarters ADD under
such a variety Of conditions
1t is among the ironies of
nature that a mere accident
may hide the whole spectacle from
sight and upset all the arrangements
made for catching its secrets. A single
fugitive cloud, no bigger than a mans
hand has been known to have such an
effoct.
The astronomers know a good deal
more about Veaus now than they did
in lie Gentil's day. Indeed, consider
ing her remoteuess from the earth and
the difficulty Of t~elescopic exploration
we may be said to have obtained a toll
erably fair general idea of her charac-
ter. The old theory that she had no
atmosphere has been exploded, as has
that other long prevalent notion that
she was Uninhahitable. Her size has
been determined at about the same ss
that of the earth, and Ter atmosphere
is calculated to be twice as dense as
ours; her china is Of the violent
order, embracing the two extremes Of
heat and cold, without any zone of
intermediate modification. She has
monstrous mountains, we are assured,
and frequent and terrific tempests.
The year there is shorter than here by
over n third, or to speak more diff
nitely, one hundred years on the earth
equal a hundred and sixty two years on
Venus. During one part Of the year
the sun does not rise there for several
days, at another period it does not set
fer several days, and the rest of the
time it remains perpendiculaFly over
head, veFg much larger in disc than it
ever appears to us. What kind of
Inhabitants, if any, exist there, is a
problem that cannot be solved; the
most that science can do for US in that
direction is to certify that life is pos
slblo on such a planet, though we may
easily understand that it is unpleasant
aud hazardous. Perhaps if the whole
truth we're known and all these other
and mysterious worlds, we should ind
our own, with all its drawbacks, in
comparably the best in the LOT; it is at
least a comfort to think so, and the
arguments so far are %conviucingly on
The othor aide Of such a oonoluaion