THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1910, 4 December 1874, Page 3

THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.

'1 he transit ofYenus across the disc of of the sua—the event for which the hearts of all astronomers throughout the world are palpitating—occurs on Wednesday next The event is not of the portentous and striking character of an eclipse of the sun, or of the appearance of a comet blazing across half the sky. One of the tiniest of the planets passes across a small portion of the edge of the sun; but in practical importance the event far tranends any other astronomical phenomenon. We have said that the event occurs on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 9th, but it would seem that there is some doubt about the day. There are different ways of calculating time. The common system, or civil day, is from midnight to midnight, but the astronomical day begins at noon. Lieut. Palmer's instructions are all set down for the 9th,'but does he mean the civil day, or the astronomical day p If the transit takes place between one o'clock and four on the afternoon of the 9(h, that will be by astronomical time the 10 h. A correspondent of the Otutjo Guanlian, speaking as if with authority, averts that the transit will take place on the B'h, as commonly computed. Some of the savants should settle the question authoritatively, for it would be awkward if even a few of the stations were a day too late for the fair. On Wednesday night, Mr Severn, Mr Sheath, and Mr Bull had the wires conEectfd right through from the Hape Creek Lieutenant Palmer's station at Burnliajn, near Ohristcbureb. The batteries were not strong enough, however, and Burnliam was not reached. Auckland, however, has been in communication, and Wellington, of course, can easily reach Burnbam. Last night, we were informed, everything was going on satisfactorily.