The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-06
Venus Coming Transit,
AN AsTRoNoMC EVENT NO LIVING BEING
WILL EVER SEE AGAIN.

The great astronomic event of the
year will be the transit of Venus which
occurs on the 9th of next December.
The Scientific 1nerican says of it:
Astronomers have been busy for
years in getting ready for the transit,
for the whole Western world, where
the sky is clear will be in the sunlight
during some portion OF the passage.
The busy notes of preparation are now
being sounded in many of the Amer
lean observatories, where every aid
that science can command win be util-
lied for the occasion, while European
astronomers have already formed their
plans, received appropriations for the
grea. expenses to be incurred, and
chosen stations which are the best
adapted for observations, as well as
those that are at extreme distances
from each other.
The phenomenon is not sublime and
awe inspiring, like the total eclipse of
the sun nor simply beautiful, like the
conjunction of two planets; nor mag
nificent, like the telescope Saturn.
The naked eye observer, looking at
the sun through smoked glass, will see
a tiny black spot passing over his face.
The telescope observer will see a black
round ball, as large as the full grown
moon, making its way across the great
luminary. The phenomenon to the
ordinary observer will be only this and
nothing more. But thousands of sci
entifc observers will eagerly note, as
if life depended upon the accuracy,
the second when Venus touches the
suns edge, the moment when she is
fnlly embarked upon his disk, the
exact time of her passage, and the
second when her retreating edge
touches the suns edge, as well as the
time when the last contact occurs and
the exhibition closes There are two
principal reasons for the Importance
attached to a transit of Vents One
is that it is considered the best means
for determining the suns distance
the other is that is is extremely rare in
its occurrence.
Venus and Mercury are the only
planets that can make transits across
the sun, for their orbits are within
that of the earth, and they are there
fore called inferior or inner planets.
In every synodic revolution, or when
earth, planet and star come into line,
these planets must pass between us and
the sun, the point being known as in
ferior conjunction. Venus accomplish
es this period in 5S4 days. But her
orbit, or path, is inclined to the ecliptic
or suns path, and, at inferior con
junction, she ordinarily passes above
or below the sun and is invisible
When she is in inferior conjunction,
and also at one of her nodes or cross
ing points, as in December, she passes
directly between us and the sun and
makes transit The transits at the
descending node gre in December,
those at the ascending node in June.
The intervals between are 8 and 235
years. The transit of 1874 occurred
eight years ago the next transit after
that of 1882 at the same node will be
in 2117. The last transit at the as
cending node occurred in 1863 the
next will occur in 2004.
w ncu III ZOOt Jne IeAI lTullSlJ Ol
Venus after the coming one takes
place, no human being who now treads
the earth will be alive to see its pas
sage. Nearly four generations of men
will have lived and died before the
brightest of the stars again passes be-
tween us and the sun when at one of
ner nodes. Observers will, therefore,
witness an event to be remembered for
lifetime, and, for this reason, indie
pendent of its scientific Importance, the
phenomenon will be eagerly antici-
pated. If astronomers can agree In
their calculations and make the transit
a means of accurately determining the
suns distance, great feat will be ac-
complished. For the suns distance
from the earth is the unit or yard
stick for measuring celestial distances
outside the solar system, and on its
accuracy the whole celestial structure
depends.