The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-08
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
summary of she Observations nj the
Principal stations-I" the Main
Satisfactory.


observations Of the transit OF. venus maze
at the principal points OF obser'a'ioh'
The result Of the observations OF 1874 was
great disappointment, as the calculations
Of the various observing parties produced
an irreconcilablc difference. In fact there
was n margin OF several millions of mics
in the scientific estimates OF the distance
Of the earth from the sun. 1t Is hoped
that the obsei vatons Of Wednesday viii
correct this discrepancy, though the
chances are against it. However, 1t may
be some years before the final result is
known.
Professor Sampson, Of the Naval Obser-
yatory IN Washington, says: Wesucceea-
ed i'm taking two contacts, and, consider
Ing the cloudy condition OF the sky, we
were quite successful. Professor Frisby
observed all four contacts, as did also
Professor Hardness, but the latter record
ed only two. / observed all four, and
Ensign Brown observed three. ! think
there were only sixty photographs taken
here.
The weather was not at all favorable for
photography. The image in these photo
graphs is about four inches in diameter,
and, as far as they go, they are all right, but
what was wanted was good photographs,
at short intervals, during the whole time
occupied in the transit. Professor Samp-
sons observations were made with Il nine
inch equatorial. The mean time was as
follows:
First contact. s hours - minutes and
0 gG-l00 seconds; second, 9 hours IG
minutes and Is 9G-lO0 seconds; third. .
hours 80 minutes and 5G 1l-l00 seconds;
fourth, 8 hours 10 minutes and 80 ll-l00
seconds. Professor Sampson slated that the
time for the last contact was probably from
twenty to thirty seconds too early on ac-
count Of a cloud that ob>cured the planet
before il passed of the sun.
At West Point, y. y, the observations
OF the first and second contacts were very
good. The sidcreal time OF the first con-
tact was II hours minutes IS 9-l0 Sc
cOndS. and OF the second II hours 20 min
utcs 81 9-10 seconds. The images Of We
nus and the sun were very steady and dis
tinct. 40 indication OF Venus atm0s-
phere. nor variation in the circumference
OF her disc, was noticed. Professor Niche
and his assistants are well satisfied with
their observations.
4 party OF observers on the grounds OF
the Johns-IIopkinS Hospital. Baltimore,
under the direction OF Professor Hast
ings. observed successfully the second,
third. and fourth contacts, the first being
lost through clouds. -Four minutes before
the second contact the atmospheric rin@
was seen all around Venus, notwith>tand-
ing a rather hay sky. This phenomenon
was also visible during the same interval
after the third contact, but after the fourth
no trace was seen.
Al Yale the transit was carefully
watched at the Observatory. The mos:
elaborate preparations bad been made by
Professor Leonard Waldo and his assist
ant, Professor j. l.. kicrschnCr pr0ics-
sor Of astronomy in the Franklin and
Marshall College, OF Lancaster, Pa. There
were five Observers on duty at the hcli-
omrtcr and The operations OF the compi-
Gated instrument were carefully noted.
The photographs were taken with the
new equatorial, which has q Photographic
lens OF about ten feet focus. over 100
plates. showing Tie whole sun, with No-
nus CD it, die, were secured. Thcsc
photographs are about one quarter the
size oi the Government. photographs. They
have a reference line photographed IN
each plate, formed lr horizontal sur
face Of mercury. With tac hchOmctcr q
very satisfactory and complete series Of
measures was obtained. Il include q de-
termination Of the angles 40 which Venus
entered and LEFT the sun, the diameter Of
Venus while in the sun, and measures of
the position Of Venus during the transit
about 240 in all.
The heiiOmctcr times Of contact were aI-
prOXimatcly 9.01.jf, 5000, 2.jl.22, 3.12.G7.
Regular observations were secured with IN
eight-inch telescope and with the ninth
m,h equatorial Of the Sheffield school
With The latter q series of tran>itS, about
one hundred in all. was obtained.
Nearly all The scientific gentlemen Who
made observations expressed them I've, as
we'll satisfied With the results.
I'm Tie main. astronomers oi New York
city are satisfied with the result OF their
observations OF The transit OF Venus. Al
first thc atmosphere gave an UndGlating
motion. 30 Chat thc first contact WIS not
observed as well a- Was hoped.
Al Che College al the City OF New York
Professor john ". Draper succeeded in
getting eight plato, OF lhiuy-tWo on each
plate. Ills plates during thc first nd ,cc-
OHd contact. were very "OCl, bgt &C the
third and fourth contacts much better, and
viii lc OF great value. ho plates were
taken ST. interval Oi i've seconds. They
viii BE- maguii.cd many timc,. and the pro-
fc..9r viii then hcalIc 10 measure the discs
md make Iii, calculations. BY sitting out
all the blue rays OF light. which act bcsl
upon The plates, he succeeded in procuring
much sharper image than ha, before been
taken.
The result of Professor Recess obserya-
lions at Columbia College show that at g.O3
the sun was unsteady and il was cloudy.
-Four minutes later it became clear and tie
planet was seen plainly through a riit OF
clouds at 9.0S.40. The notch was plain.
and had been on about minute 20 seconds.
When the disc was fully on It did not ap-
pear uniformly black. There were faint
patches OF white on il. Vt the third con-
tact, al 2:j2.0j, the edge was darker than
the centre. The second contact occurred
at 9:2S.3I. The fourth and last occurred
at 3:1l.12, and was not good, the condition
OF the sky being unfayOrable.
At Philadelphia, although the sky was
for the most part overcast, yet the contact
times. particularly the third and fourth.
were highly favored. The planet was seen
projected on chromosphere, both before
FIRST contact and after fourth. This phe-
nomena was well defined both at ingreSs
and ut egreSs. The part Of The planet of
the sun was found surrounded by an at
mOsphcre. In the early STAGES OF the in
gress this was evidenced by flashes OF ligl t
around the planet, later by bright horn
projecting from the sun, partly around the
planet, and just before second contact by
the completion Of the ring all around the
planet. This last was strikingly defined,
and the atmosphere Of the planet of scnsi-
bic breadth. \ good gcoMetric third con-
tact WAS Observed.
Al PIincofOn Professor Nnnnr r.ith d