Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-06-27
o1rR DISTANCE FROM THE SUN.
y,rx,ue Estimates Made by Men oil
aeIenee-..Abouf 90. O00, 900 Miles.


EuGlOuIyH <AttteS'
The GRAND views of magnitude when
arise in connection with the consideration
of the nbysical condition of the sun are, as
a matter of course, all dependent upon the
measures that have been pade OF Its dis-
lance. Because the solar sphere has the
annorent size of one-foot bali held lOS
feet away, it must, therefore, beabout sou,
600 miles across II 1t be 10s times 800, 0oO,
or $4,000, 900 miles away; that Is, In q
familiar form, the rationale OF the process
by which the idea Of It's magnitude mas
heen acquired. Miss Clerke relates very
fnllv and charmingly the history OF tho
labors which have been devoted by scien
tific men to attain exact accuracy In TINS
fundamental particular. So much the
greater pains have been taken III the mat
fer because of the distance OF the sun Is
unayoidably the unit of measure which mas
10 be employed in making all further IN
yestigations rs TO the profundity ofspace'
The semi-diameter of the earth's sphere Is
necessarily the fundamental unit IN astio-
nomical surveys; and any error IN Its
determination is multiplied in an inilnlty
of WAYS in all further consideration oil
the planetary and stellar distances.
Rut the measure which has tn he accom-
plished in approaching the solution OF TINS
nroblem in the most direct way Is about
the same thing as taking the apparent size
or a half-pcnny when held 1000 feet from
the eve. This is the amount which Is known
as tho horizontal parallax of the sun; that
is, the difference Of the position when the
sun holds in the vast field of space among
the stars according rs it is viewed from one
or the other extremity of the hali-dlameter
of the earth. The uansitS OF Venus nave
been employed as an indirect means oil
rtting at this measure through the
Intervening stages Of the mathe-
NAUTICAL calculations, since the first
introduction of the method by llor-
rocks in 1851. During the last two tran
sits of Vcnus-thoSe which occurred in 1874
ana lSS2-thc most strenuous efforts were
made by the astronomers of civilized IA
| tions tn get us exact 4 measure "a was pas
siblc In 1854 eighty distinct stations,
scattered all over the most suitable por-
! lions oil inc caFln, NcIc CSliDiiAH'u az "i'
expenditure of nearly 4 quarter ola NIL
| lion of dollars. But the result Is that the
method, 81 long cherished as the iaNorlt"
one of astronomers, Is now found to have
| failed them. 1t is universally admitted by
all that the sun is considerably nearer to
the earth than it was conceived to be few
years since But, so far rs the transit oh
servations are conrerned, Mr.; Stone
gives 92,3G1 gG9 miles at the cor
rccteH DISTANCE derived from the
! observations of lS74. NJ. Faye gives 81,
$50, 600 miles; Professor Young 81, 80, 600,
and DIR. Ball, 93,OJ0,0OO. Doctors there
fore disagree in this matter yVyY mate
rally. From tho tyapstt observations OF
lssl TIC prnbabiG error was held by Pro-
| fcsSGr iouzcau, the late director OF the
Brussels observatory, who devoted great
! labor and care to the reduction and COM
parison of the calculations, 10 amount tn
900, 600 miles either way, or to a total UNI
certainty of 500, 600 miles. Ry :, COM
mon consent of the hLi authorities the
possible FrT&l iH the measure of the suns
/ distance BY this method Of observing is
held to be not less certainly than 400 600
miles,