l88 Tranjli of Mercury, 



was no opportunity for taking correfponding altitudes of the 

 . fun. 



Enfcliede lies 50^ : 6' north latitude and 7 '30" in time 

 eaft from Amflerdam. At fun-rife I faw tiie planet a good 

 wav from the eaftern limb on the 1'un's dillc. There were a 

 great manv fpots on the fun's difk, and particularly on the 

 wed fide, about :o in the morning. The Iky was clearer, 

 tliough it was cloudy in the weft. We were, however, able 

 to follow the planet in its paflage. About ti t lie Iky be- 

 came clear in the fouth ; but about 10 minutes after noon a 

 verv thick cloud proceeded from the north, which threat- 

 ened to deprive us of all hope of feeing tlie egrefs. A few 

 minutes before the planet came in contaA with the fun's 

 limb, I took the fmoked glafs from the telefcopc, and law 

 clearly the interior contaft of the fun's limb, at 12 hours 

 22 minutes 10 feconds true time; hut in a few minuies the 

 weftern limb of the fun was covered by a thick cloud, fo that 

 no obfervation could be made of the exterior contact of Mer- 

 cury with the fun's limb. 



The planet when on the difk fcemcd to be furrounded by 

 a fmall luminous circle. The fun's limb alfo at the time of 

 interior contact feemed to quiver, and, as it were, to fwell up 

 a little. L. Nikuvvenhuis. 



Paris, Nov. 9. — The paffage of Mercury over the fun's 

 difk was obferved this niormng, for the 19th time. The 

 weather was exceedingly favourable, and aftronomers en- 

 joyed, in the completeft manner, tlie fight of this curious 

 pbacnonienon. I was the more anxious to have a view of it, 

 as I fiiall never fee it more, fince the next will not take place 

 til! the 5th of May 1833; for I do not reckon thofe which 

 will be iiivifibie in Europe. I had the latisfadion of ob- 

 fcrving it in the fame place w-here it was oblervud for the firft 

 time, Nov. ytli, 163 i, by Gafleudi, one of my moft illul- 

 trious predecelfors in the College dc France. Mercury 

 emerged from the fun at 8 minutes paft noon, which agrees 

 to a minute with my tables of Mercury, on which I have 

 been employed for forty years. That day, remarkable to ai- 

 trouoniers, is much more fo on account of the regeneration 

 of France. Lalandk. 



From a Corrcfpondoit. 

 SIR, 



If the l'uh]oined fketcli and account of Mercury's tranfit on 

 tlie 9th inftant, and his contact with the penumbra, or light 

 part of the largcll Ipot on the fun that day, be worth iufert- 

 inii iu vour valuable Magaziui, t'lc inlertion may pcrha))a 



5 ^ ^^'^^ 



