The daily gazette., 1882-12-07
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
OBSERVATIONS TAKEN AT VA
iOUS PLACES.
THE RESULTS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
How the Transit was Viewed at yVasIIsng-
ton and Other PIaces-some Highly Inn
portapt Results Obtained.


WAsuINGToS, Dec. 6.-At the United
Stairs Signal Office in this city Observations
OF the times of contact IN the transit of
Venus were successfully made by Mr.. Upton,
with an equatorial telescope OF three inctes
aperture and magnifying power of seventy
five. At ingress the definition was good,
but at egress the air was much disturbed,
and clouds covered the sun at almost the
exact instant of the final contact. The
times of contact as observed were: First
contact, Sh. Som. l0s.; second contact, Oh.
l6m. 3s.; third contact, Oh. Sem. 45s.; fourth
contact, Oh. Som. 20s.
At ingress the ''black drop" was very
noticeable and the whole outline of the
planet was seen five minutes twenty seconds
before internal contact.
The unfavorabe state OF the atmosphere
to-day interfercd to some extent with the
observation at the Naval Obser, atory OF the
transit OF Venus. In conversation with a
representative of the Associated Press 10
night Commander Sampson, superintendent
% the observatory, made the following brief
comments upon the results of tOday's
work: "We succeeded in taking two con-
facts and, considering the cloudy condition
of the sky, we were quite successful. Pro-
fessor Frisby observed all four contacts,
as did also Professor Hardness, but the
latter recorded only two. l observed all
tpuI I1belSu DfOWu OU tTNeu JnIct. l.
think there were only 60 Photographs taken
here The weather was not ut all favorable
for photography. The image in these pho
tographs is about four inches I'm diameter
and as far as they go they are all right, but
what was wanted was good pl o cgraphs at
short intervals during the whole time cccu-
pied In the transit. 1t was only during a
iew minutes in the morning and for about
an hour in the afternoon that any could be
rob M Iba l,- mkt s...
were taken is almost instantaneous. The
photographing was done with horizontal
telescope 40 feet in length. This does NOT
distort the image as the ordinary apparatus
does. There was nothing remarkable about
the transit.
PIrTsBURGH, Dec. G.-The observation at
the Allegheny Observatory was rather un-
satisfactory on account OF clouds In the
interval before the first external and first
internal contact light was seen gathered
into bright spot extending within lie
planet's disk, and occupying so degrees of
It's circumference. This phenomelioh was
unexpected, and Prof. Samuel z. Langley,
The observer, said lie Was unable to account
for it.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 6.-At Lick Obser-
vatory, Mount Hamilton, at a. m., there
was splendid weather, aud 4S photographs
Oi the transit was obtained.
HARTFORD, Dec. 6.-The German astron-
omers taking observations of the transit OF
Venus ut Trinity G0t.e-e at l o'clock had
successfully secured lye full sets of hello
metric measurements.
BALTIMORE, Dec. Con the grounds of
the John Hopkins Hospital, uuder the
direction OF Prof Hastings, observations
were successfully made OF the second, third
and fourth contacts.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Dec, 6.-Prof East
man reports highly successful daya Cedar
Keys. The morning was cloudy, aud the
irst contact of Venus with the sun was lost
by the intervention of narrow stratum of
cloud. The second contact was obtained
very well. No ligaments or black drops
were seen. One hundred and fifty photo
graphs were taken with dry plates, all of
which were good. The French astronomers
at st. Augustine had clear weather and
made successful observations.
BOSTON, Dec 6.-The observations at the
Cambridge observatory this afternoon were
much more satisfactory than those made In
he morning. Spectrosc0pic examinations
showed thai Venus has not an atmosphere
capable OF absorbing mueh light. Photo
meter observations indicated that the i!ht
from the dire of Venus was less than re-
heeted from the sky near the sun.
NEW HAVEN, Dec. 6.-The astronomers
OF Yale College are, on the whoie, exceed
ingy well satisfied with their observ.t ens
oi the transit. Good work was done by the
new helometer,a telescope having divided
object glass ami used to measure the dis
tahce of Venus from the SUMS centre. IL is
the only heliometer in this country.
GALVESTON, Dec. "a Special to the
NerS from San Antonio says "The transit
OF Venus observations were very successful,
aud both the American and Belgian Com
missions express satisfaction at the re-
suit"
FOREIGN OBSERVATIONS.
LONDON, Dec. 6.-The transit of Venus
to-day was favorably observed at Duroan
and Cape Town.
AT Madrid observations were prevented
by bad weather. Snow fell, rendering the
transit totally invisible from The Greenwich
observatory. The transit was plainly yisi-
bic at Cork.
OTTowA, Dec. G.-Mr. Blake took sue
,essful observation this morning.
PARIS, Dec. 6-Black clouds, which hid
.he sun from view, rendered useless the
great preparations made ut the Observatory
lere to take observations of the transit of
Venus to-day.
THE PRIZE RING.