98 NOTES ON THE LATE TRANSIT OF MERCURY. 
never forgotten. Another thing that strikes one as being simply 
marvellous is the accuracy of the predicted time. 
JUPITER. 
As seen on the morning of November 30th, 1907, between 
7 and 8 o’clock. On several mornings during this month I had 
some very fine views of it. In fact, I think the finest I have 
ever had. Previously, when looking at Jupiter in the evening, 
transits of its moons and their shadows have nearly always been 
seen with some doubt and difficulty, but on the morning of the 
30th the moment I looked into the telescope a black spot was 
seen. I looked up the Ephemeris for that day, and found that 
it was the shadow of Moon I. I observed it for fully half-an- 
hour. During that time it moved some distance across the disc. 
There was also plainly seen a dark elliptical spot on the north 
equatorial belt, nearly above the shadow of the moon. 
VENUS. 
I may add that the finest views of Venus I have had have 
been in the morning when it was almost daylight, the horns are 
then quite sharply defined, and there is not the same amount of 
flare about it, which is such a drawback to good seeing of this 
planet in the evening. When the morning is suitable the air 
seems steadier, and a brighter and sharper image is obtained. 
SATURN. 
In the month of November the rings of this planet were 
turned edge ways on to our line of sight; and according to the 
position of the earth and sun they should have been invisible. 
One evening, about the 11th or 12th, vision was fairly good. I 
could plainly see the shadow belt across the ball, and tried to 
trace the ring at each side on to the sky beyond. When atten- 
tion was directed to the east side the eye saw at times a faint 
trace of light where the ring should be on the opposite side. 
This occurred several times, and when the eye was turned to that 
side the light was not seen. I have read of several other 
observers who have seen those flashes, and also have read of one 
or two astronomers of note who say that it is an optical illusion. 
Since I wrote the foregoing notes I find that a number of 
other observers have seen the flashes of light on the Ansze of 
i 
