Light Science for Leisure Hours: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjects, natural phenomena, &c.Proctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
Light Science for Leisure Hours: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjects, natural phenomena, &c.
Proctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony)
Science
The transit will begin earliest for observers in the neighbourhood
of the Sandwich Islands, latest for observers near Crozet Island,
far to the south-east of the Cape of Good Hope. It ends earliest for
observers far to the south-west of Cape Horn, latest for observers in
the north-eastern part of European Russia. Thus we see that, so far as
the application of our second method is concerned, the suitable spots
are not situated in the most inviting regions of the earth’s surface.
As the transit happens on December 8, 1874, the principal northern
stations will be very bleak abodes for the observers. The southern
stations are in yet more dreary regions,—notwithstanding the fact that
the transit occurs during the summer of the southern hemisphere.
For the application of Halley’s method we require stations where
the whole transit will be visible; and as the days are very short
at the northern stations in December, it is as respects these that
we encounter most difficulty. However, it has been found that many
places in Northern China, Japan, Eastern Siberia, and Manchouria are
suitable for the purpose. The best southern stations for this method
lie unfortunately on the unexplored Antarctic continent and the islands
adjacent to it; but Crozet Island, Kerguelen Land, and some other
places more easy of access than the Antarctic continent, will serve
very well. Indeed, England has so many stations to occupy elsewhere
that it is doubtful whether she will care to undertake the dangerous
and difficult task of exploring the Antarctic wastes to secure the best
southern stations. The work may fairly be left to other nations, and
doubtless will be efficiently carried out.
What England will actually undertake has not yet been fully decided
upon. We may be quite certain that she will send out a party to Woahoo
or Hawaii to observe the accelerated commencement of the transit.
She will also send observers to watch the retarded commencement, but
whether to Crozet Island, Kerguelen Land, Mauritius, or Rodriguez is
uncertain. Possibly two parties will be sent out for this purpose, and
most likely Rodriguez and Mauritius will be the places selected. It
had been thought until lately that the sun would be too low at some of
the places when the transit begins, but a more exact calculation of
the circumstances of the transit has shown this to be a mistake. Both
Crozet Island and Kerguelen Land are very likely to be enveloped in
heavy mists when the transit begins—that is, soon after sunrise—hence
the choice of Mauritius and Rodriguez as the most suitable station.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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