Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-14
raj SPOT ON \
How IL Was Discovered by Prot.
Langley.

Prof. s. P. Langley, Of Pittsburg
whose discovery during the recent
transit Of Venus of a remarkable and
heretofore unobseryed spot on the
body Of hat planet has awakened
1uch general interest in scientific cir
lies, has been interviewed by a CORE
pondent Have YOU completed your
calculations upon the results achieved
10 the observations OF the transit2'
Inquired the writer.
mo, sir, we have not" replied the
Professor. Many months will elapse
before that work can be accomplished.
The full results of the recent transit
will not be known definitely for years.
w ha achievements we're especially
anticipated by scientists in their OBJ
servations on the recent transit2'
Quite a number. One was to cor
rect the total error of previous obser
y%stions as TO the distance Of the SUI
This task was about equal to placing
"a average human hair at a distance
Of $50 yards and trying to measure its
thickness. That about represents the
4ugulaI amount that's in the question.
The whole thing turns on a certain
angle called the solar parallax."
About this spot on the body Of the
planet Venus, had YOU anticipated
anything Of the kind?"
mo, sir. In previous observations
a rim OF light has been noticed circling
the edge Of the planet before its en-.
trance upon the disc Of the sun. |
determined to pay special attention "a
this feature of the transit, and in.
struoted my assistants to the SAME
effect. 1t was owing to our attention
being concentrated upon this feature
Of the transit that the discovery O
this spot was made. Other observer
directed their efforts to the observ
ances of the first contact, the forma.
tion Of the black drop, and othel
points Of equal interest
Drawing a diagram in order t,
enlighten your correspondent, the
Professor continued: "The line o
light on the edge of the planet wa
plainly defined, but in addition to it,
observed a spot extending inward one
fourth the radius of the planet ant
along the edge, approximately one
twelfth Of the whole circumference
L observed il closely, and as the plane
entered the sun the spot widened
apparently stretching out along tn
edge, and disappearing finally whel
Venus was wholly upon the disc o
the sun"
What theory have you for the ap
pearance Of this phenomenon
II have none at all. 1t is who'll,
inexplicable. Owing to the waverlnl
edge, | could not be positive that tn,
spot was wholly upon the body of tn
planet. 1t might have been a pro
tuberance. In that case, | am almos
unable to account for II. From it
appearance, however, l judge that i
covered two thousand miles or NOR
Of the planet. 1t might be due il
some way to refraction, caused by al
extraordinary prOtuberance Of the at
mosphere Of Venus, though why sucl
a protuberance should exis. we are a
a loss to say"
Professor Langley at this point re
tired and his assistant, Mr. Keeler
remarked. aside from the observa
ton to determine the distance Of tn
sun, we consider as probably next il
Importance the speotroseopic ObserVa
tons OF Professor Young,of Princeton
3 ifording, as he says, unmistakabl
evidence of the presence Of waite
upon Venus. The presence of waite
upon the planet Venus suggests tn
probability of inhabitants. No as
tronomer would care to say that Veuu
is not inhabited, said the gentleman
with a laugh. The presence Of waite
renders this more probable.