The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-08
TRANSIT or MERCURY
WAS NOT VISIBLE HERE
Clouds at Sunrise Prevent Those In
i Is terested From Viewing
Phenomena.
Will OCCUR AGAIN IN 1868
Only Three Heavenly Bodies Make
Transit OF Sun, Others Being Moon
and venus--Too Small to BE Seen
Without Telescope.

Coroner William II. Taylor probably
knows moro about the movements OF
heavenly bodies than any other Rich
mond man. While the city slept yes
terday morning the transit Of Mercury
CROSSED the suns disk, which. accord
ing to astronomers. is most note
worthy occurrence. Last night Coroner
Taylor said the occurrence was of little
Importance to Richmond people for
three reasons.
I'm the first place" he said. 1T hap
pened before sunrise. and In the second
place 1t could not have been observed
here. because at sunrise 1t was cloudy,
and in the third place the occurrence
would not have been visible without
q telescope"
occurrence said the coroner should
not grieve as those without hope, for
il will again he visible in the year
1863"
Mercury is one>of the three bodies
which can make the transit OF the sun,
the other two being the moon, whose
transit Is called an eclipse. and the
planet Venus. Usually Venus and
Mercury pass either above or below
the sun, thus avoiding making tran
sit. The periods between the trnnsits
arc unequal. Venus made n transit in
1874 and again in 1882. and will not
do so again until the years 2QO4 and
so1a.
AVERAGE THIRTEEN
EVERY CENTURY
Transits/ of Mercury are more fire.
quent, as they average about thirteen
every century, the periods between
transits ranging between three and q
half and dozen years. But as many
of her transits. as in the case of
eoiipses. are invisible except In GER
tain parts Of the world. this oppor-
tnnity OF seeing o world across the
lace OF the sun is Il rare and unusual
one for RichmondNrs.
The diameter of Mercury is 5000
miles. and 1t is so far away from us
that 1t is invisible to the eye. and ap-
pears only as little black speck
with the aid of the telescope In
order 20 protect the eyes, q pair of
well smoked glasses should BIO used
in looking for the phenomenon. NIer-
curry travels at rate OF speed eStt-
mated at 1875 miles a minute, but
appears to be moving very slowly. as
the sun, its background has a diam
eter of $4,000 miles The whole pc
Rod OF transit, will, therefore. be
only four hours, rs Mercury crosses
middle. The distance between the
planet and the sun is about 10000
900 miles.
Tho planet yesterday morning was
too small to be seen without a tele-
scope. being only ten seconds in
diameter. but small instrument with
4 suitable shaded glass would have
sufticed to show it as a little black
dot upon the sun. Mercury is prac-
tically invisible during the first part
of November. except at the time of
Its transit. but as n morning star, 1t
may be seen best on the pad,
when he is at his greatest elongation.
On this date he Is in Libra, and rises
about 5;15 In tho morning, SO that he
can. easily be seen before the dawn
gets too bright.
The scientific interest Of transit
of Mercury is not very great, being
confined to the exact observation of
the times Of the apparent contacts"
Of Mercury with the suns limb. which
give valuable data for determination
OF Its exact position in Its orbit The
general observation of the phenome-
non. which cannot be observed again
IN this country for generation,
proved of general interest to astrono-
nlcrs.