Abstract
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS IN NEW SOUTH WALES, &C.—In his address as president of the Royal Society of New South Wales, read May 3, Mr. H. C. Russell, the director of the Observatory at Sydney, gave some account of his arrangements for the observation of the approaching transit of Venus in that colony. Provision was liberally made last year by the legislature, and a sum of 500l. has been placed at Mr. Russell's disposal for this purpose. With this he states he will be able to provide four high-class 6-inch equatorials, exactly similar to those which are to be used by European observers, and two of 41/2 inches. There are remaining from the last transit one equatorial of 111/2 inches, one of 71/4, one of 5 inches, one of 43/4, and one of 41/4 inches. He hopes to be able to take up four stations, in addition to the Observatory, with two observers and two telescopes at each point. In order to make the best of the chances of favourable atmospheric conditions, elevated points on the east coast of New South Wales, have been selected, which, it may be fairly anticipated, will have a clearer view an hour after sunrise than could be looked for near the sea-level. Mr. Russell remarks that in observing the transit of Mercury last November, the observers were stationed at Bathurst, Katoomba, and Sydney, places which he had thought were far enough apart to secure different weather; but the result showed that the weather was practically the same at the three stations. This induced the unpleasant reflection that it may prove cloudy all along the coast on December 6, and he had therefore gladly taken advantage of the recent commission to Lord Howe Island to make some inquiry as to its suitability as a station. It is found that an elevated spot is easy of access, and the weather at the hour and season is almost sure to be fine.
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 26, 223 (1882). https://doi.org/10.1038/026223a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/026223a0