The Transit of Venus.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4348, 7 December 1882, Page 2

The Transit of Venus.

.As everybody expected, the transit of Venus took place this morning. People who were never known to rise early before were up by cock-crow, to watch her ladyship kiss old Sol, and then embrace him. Their greeting was effected soon after midnight, and for some time after day* had dawned their proceedings were hidden from the vulgar eye by a veil of haze. However, the honeymoon over, Sol, about six o'clock, cleared away all obstructions, and favored us mundane mites with a full view of Venus reposing lovingly on his bosom. Then telescopes of all shapes, sizes, and powers were brought to bear, and smoked glass was lavished profusely, with a view to staring them out of countenance. The lady slid gently on, and about 7.30 parted with her birght friend for 122 years. Occasionally a light cloud obscured the vision, but upon the whole the opportunities for observation were excellent. Venus ranges from the size of a ■ * crickot ball to that of a globe a foot in diameter, according to the power of the telescope. She crossed the sun considerably above the centre, meeting him on the the left side and parting on the right or eastern side, her course being slightly. Onward. It is gratifying to learn that the observations taken all over the colonies and in Victoria are thoroughly satisfactory. The New Zealand Herald devotes a long article to the subject of the transit, from which we take the following:— Kepler made the sun's distance to be 26,400.000 miles. The transits of 1761 and 1769 put it up further to our late school-book astronomy of 95,000,000 miles. A few years before the transit of 1874, the old observations of 1769 had been overhauled and re-discussed by Stone, Newcome, Proctor, and. others, and the distance of 91,200,000 was agreed upon as an approximation of the truth. The observations of the transit of Venus in 1874 have confirmed this conclusion to a large extent, and at present there appears to be a difference of some 300,000 miles in dispute. The difference o is not great, considering the enormous distance under discussion, but even 300,000 would j produce a sensible difference of error in all calculations upon which the earth's distance from the sun form an important element. The nearer we approach the absolute truth in this respect the more correctly we will be able to weigh the sun's mass, and thence to calculate his power of attraction upon our near neighbor —the moon. As the truth in this respect is reached, so will we be able to give the absolute longitudes in the Nautical Almanac, and thus aid our navigators not only to keep the property of their employers from danger, but to preserve the lives of seamen and others from loss by shipwreck. A correct estimate of the distance from the earth to the sun is to the astronomer and navigator like a correct yard stick to the merchant, or an accurate base line to the surveyor on which to compute the value of his triangles. An error of large extent in this initial measurement throws out of joint all the calculations respecting the other parts of the Btarry world. It has been calculated that an error of a thousand miles in the distance of the earth from the sun, would produce an- error of 200,000,000 miles i n calculating the distance of the nearest fixed star from the earth. If such a vast error would arise in estimating the distance of the nearest staar, how much more would

such errors be magnified and multiplied in plotting out the more distant but still visible central suns, the fixed stars. The subject is one of great practical and theoretical importance and hence the interest excited, as the transit of Venus is one of the known means by which error in this respect can be eliminated, or at least considerably reduced.

These transits afford a good opportunity of noticing the physical peculiarities of Venus. Many of the observers in 1874 insisted that the body of the planet showed much diversity of surface, indicating a considerable resemblance to the appearance of the Earth. From the early observations of the transits of Venus it. was concluded that she was without an atmosphere, and consequently unfitted for the Support of human life. But this notion has now been dispelled. The observations of 1874 showed that she is possessed of an atmosphere of considerable density in some places, which will aflord shelter to her inhabitants from the intense rays of the orb of day. Mr C. H. Russell, of Sydney, also noticed certain bright spots towards the poles of the planet, which he convinced himself were collections of snow or ice. If this con* jecture be true, then it is evident that abundance of water exists upon the planet's surface, and that in consequence clouds must necessarily exist. These are conditions necessary to the support of animal life such as we know it, and the canopy of clouds would afford a shelter from the, direct rays of the sun just as tropical countries on the earth have a greater degree of cloud than places nearer the poles. Upon these and other questions relating to the physical constitution of our nearest planetary-neighbor the observations made to morrow morning by the hundreds of telescopes and other instruments which will be directed to it, may be expected to throw some additional light. Some have thought that the bright spots which Mr Russell saw and attributed to collections of snow or ice, may be explained by the gleams of bright sunlight which would be seen through rifts in dense masses of storm clouds. But be the cause what it may, Mr Russell is quite of opinion that the circumstance is due to the cause which he has assigned.

[Peb Pbess Association.]

Wellington, This day. Communications have been received from all the observing stations in New Zealand to the effect that the results are eminently satisfactory with.the exception of Clyde, Otago, where a cloud passed at a critical moment. The internal and external contacts weae ascertained very distinctly. The English party at Burnham, had a very successful observation, as also the Americans at Auckland.

New Plymouth, This day. Although at times clouds passed over the sun during the transit at the time of internal contact, at egress the sun was «,clear, and an excellent observation was taken here, but the external egress was not seeni The observations were taken by Mr^ Humphries, chief surveyor, and Mr O'Donogohe, who was about a hundred yards from the main observatory. On comparing the records, there was only a second difference between the two observations.

Kumaba, This day. The transit of Venus was observed here this morning. Ciouds obscured the sun till 6.45, and but occasional glimpses of tho planet were seen till 7.20. The internal and external contacts at the egress were obscured by dense clouds.