Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-06

graphic Plate holder This has square of plate
glass etched with fine ruled lines. These ruled
lines. together with a plumb line of very fine
silver wire, are photographed with every picture
OF the sun. so that the vertical line in the picture
can readily be determined and any contraction
of the coll0di0n film on the plate can be de-
tected. The object glass and plate holder are
placed in the meridian of the transit instrument
with which the time is determined. The CEN
trail ruled l:ne on tie plate holder and which ia
photographed on each picture, can thus be used
as meridian mark for the transit
HOW THE TRANSIT APPEARED TO THOSE WHO
SAW IT.
The phenomenon of the transit of VEINS is of
such rare occurrence that it has been seen but
once before to-day since 1863. and will not be
seen again till June, 20O4. Venus appeared as
small black spot upon the suns surface: its
diameter about 1-32 that of the sun, and could
be seen Nth the naked eye or small telescope
properly protected with smoked glass or cclored
shade glasses. Such means of observing were
used to-day 10y large number of amateur OBJ
servers. Venus to-day entered upon the suns
disk almost exactly at its lowest point and fol-
lowed path across the suns disk which may be
described in popular terms as northwesterly.
WHERE OBSERVATION PARTIES ARE STATIONED.
AT its last session Congress appropriated
$1,000 for perfecting arrangements to make to-
days observations, and $4,000 additional to
repair instruments. The commission having the
matter in hand appointed Prof. Simon New
comb TO take observations at Cape Town: Prof.
Asaph Hail. San Antonio, Texas: Prof. John X
Eastman. Cedar Keys. Florida; Prof. Lewis Boss
Santiago de Chilli: Lieut.. 5. W. Very. Santa
Cruz, atalonia: Edwin Smith, New Zealand
Great Britain has observers i'm Canada. West
Indies, Good Hope. Natal. Madagascar, New
Zealand, Australia, Mauritius and the Falkland
Islands. French astronomers viewed the
transit to-day in Florida, West Indies, Mexico.
Argentine Republic. Patagonia and Cape Horn
Germany has observers in the Argentine Re-
public, Falkland Islands. Hartford Conn., and
Aiken. 5. G.. Brazifs stations are at Rio Per-
nambuco, st. Thomas. and Magellan Straits.
Partial Success Of the Washington %.
servers.
TIE FIRST AND SECOND CONTACTS SEEN ON THE
TINE NoTED-ABADSKY FOR PHOTOGRAPHING.
Professors Hardness Frisby. and Rodgers,
Commander Sampson. Lieut.. Davis. and others
connected with the National Observatory were
on hand at an early hour this morning prepared
to devote their time attention. and professional
Skill To the observation and study OF the great
astronomical phenomenon occurring to-day
the transit of Venus across the sun. The ar
engagements for making the observations had
all been completed the instruments were
all in place, and the observers were all
in readiness. awaiting with patience the first
apparent contact of the planet with the sun.
Unfortunately the conditions OF sky and atmOs-
phere were such as to interfere greatly with
successful Photographic operations; but this did
not prevent the observation of the most i'm
portant tact-the instant of contact. Prof.
Frisby. who was watching for this through the
large telescope. noticed through the clouds. at
56 minutes and 46 seconds past O'clock the
faintest indeltation on the lower edge of the
sun. which afterwards proved to be Venus He
thinks the observation accurate. within second
or two. as the image was very sharply defined.
At sixteen minutes and ten seconds past 9 O'Clock,
the second contact was observed, and the body
of the planet had passed completely on to the sun
The planet entered the suns edge on the lower
side nearest the horizon. and is moving slowly
westward aud slightly upward. Its progress
will be watched carefully. and should the cloudi-
ness OF the sky not prevent. the instant it leaves
the sun will be carefully recorded. Up to noon
but little progress had been made in photo
graphing the sun. The sky was cloudy, and
only at intervals could clear impressions be
taken. At that hour about dozen photographs
had been obtained.