The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-03

and reputation that Venus has . moon.
ScHKuTN asserted that he saw . satellite
accompanying Venus In her passage across
the sun during the transit Of 1761 and though
ScHEuTN was probably mistaken, yet
the question is sufficiently interesting to
warrant the paying Of some attention to the
possible occurrence Of such phenomenon.
Whatever their mistakes may have been,
the observers OF the last century were Ger
tainly not less devoted and enthusiastic than
those Of the present day. The story OF LIE
GENTIL, the French astronomer, who was sent
to observe the transit Of 176l from Pondi-
cherry, illustrates this. In consequence Of
the war with England he was unable to
reach his station In time for the transit, but
as there was to be another transit In 1863 he
determined to stay In the East Indies until It
occurred. He supported himselfin q strange
land the best way he could, not having
money enough to live without employment.
and for eight years continued his prepara-
tlons for observing the transit At lust tho
day SO long waited for came, and the sun
rose clear. LIE GENTIL prepared his instru-
mcnts, hoping now to receive the reward OF
his zeal and patience, but just before the
transit began a sudden storm hid the sun,
and when the storm cleared the transit was
over. It was the last transit that would oc-
cur for more than o hundred years, and the
unfortunate astronomer was almost heart
broken. While individual observers on the
present occasion may be disappointed by
clouds and storms, so many parties have
been sent out by various nations to different
parts OF the world that 1t is practically inn
possible that the transit should not be well
observed.
Unlike the transit OF 1874, which was not
visible in America or Europe. the present
one will DO visible throughout North and
South America, Africa, western and central
Europe, and eastern Australia. America Is
happily situated, for here both the beginning
and the ending OF the transit will be seen.
while in Europe only tho beginning will
be visible. The ease with which 1t may
be observed, the convenient hours during
which the transit occurs, beginning in this
city about ten minutes after 0 o'clock in
tho morning and lasting until about ten min
utes after in the afternoon, and the gen.
eral interest which will be excited in so
rare and important an astronomical event,
will doubtless cause many who take no spe-
GILL luleTeSt III bCicuct, huu WIZ huoW uolu-
ing OF the mathematical operations involved
in the proceedings Of the astronomers. to
endeavor to catch at least q glimpse Of Venus
upon the suns disk. Everybody will want
to hive a look Mt 1t, for 1t will be something
worth remembering and talking about here
after-something which nobody can see
again until nearly century and a quarter
have elapsed. Fortunately for those who
cannot command tho use Of O telescope, tho
planet will be visible as black speck on the
sun to the unassisted eye when shaded with
deeply colored or smoked glass.
Probably the astronomers OF the twenty
first century will not have occasion to OBJ
serve the next transit Of Venus with the care
with which this one will be observed, for al
ready other methods Of measuring the SUMS
distance are beginning to take precedence Of
that which is based on transits Of Venus, and
1t is likely that the best results derived from
tho observations Of next Wednesday will
before long be exceeded in accuracy by those
obtained by other methods.