Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-06


The great event which will excite the
interest Of the whole civilized and scien-
tifc world more than any other one thing
which will happen this year in tins cOun-
try, will be the passage Of the planet We
nus across the face Of the sun to-day.
This is known as 1.-The transit of Venus"
and so interesting and important is this
phenomenon to science that astronomers
have been preparing for its observation
for many years and at great expense.
The main reason why such universal
and unusual interest is excited by this
event is because it furnishes one Of the
best known methods of measuring the
distance of the earth from the sun, as the
nearer Venus approaches the great lumi-
nary the greater accuracy with which the
angles necessary to this computation can
be ascertained. Formerly it was calcu-
lated and generally stated that the dis
tance of our world from the sun was 95,0O0,
600 miles. Later estimates, however,
greatly reduce this, and it is stated now
according to the most trustworthy esti-
mates that the distance is a little less than
93,OOO,OOO miles. 1t is hoped that the OBJ
seryations taken to-day will furnish
astronomers with additional important
data by which they can make still more
reliable calculations. The necessity for
this distance being known as nearly cor
rectly as possible is that it furnishes in
telligible information as to the dimensions
of our solar system-a matter in which
Of wi n 70
lectual capacity feels more or less interest.
The mass of mankind wherever this
transit will be yisible-and it can be wit
messed in North and South America, Afri-
ca, Western and Central Europe and East
ern Australia-will regard it with interest
because it will be even a greater curiosity
than q comet or an eclipse. 1t will be the
only chance any one will ever again have
to witness such a phenomenon until the
year 2004. There are four transits in
every 243 years, and they occur in pairs,
the two transits composing a pair being
only eight years apart, but the pairs being
separated by more than century. The
first of the present pair of transits occur
red in 1874. The last transits previous to
that were in 1861 and 1869. The next pair
will occur in 2OO4 and 2012. 1t is very evil
dent then that no one now living nor who
will be born within a scope of several
years to come, will again enjoy the I'M
usual sight.
For this reason, in addition to the ease
with which the phenomenon may be OBJ
served; as it begins about O'Clock in the
morning and lasts until about o'clock
in the afternoon, many who take no spe-
cial interest in science, and who know
! nothing Of the mathematical operations
involved in the proceedings Of the astrOn-
Omers, will endeayOr to catch at least a
glimpse of Venus upon the SUMS disk.
Everybody will want to have a look at it,
| for it will be something worth remember
ing and talking about hereafter
thing which nobody can see again until
nearly a century and a quarter have
! elapsed Fortunately for those who can
not command the use of a telescope, the
planet will be visible as a black speck on
the sun to the unassisted eye when shaded
with a deeply cOlOred or smoked glass.