Y. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE ON VENUS. BY A. CAMERON, 

 Yarmouth, N. S. 



(Read 10th May, 1897.) 



In the Transactions of this Institute for 1892-3, (Second 

 Series, Vol. I, Part 3), there is an article of mine on " Venus in 

 Daylight to Eye and to Opera Glass." On page 34-5, the late 

 M. Trouvelot of the Observatory at Meudon, is quoted to the 

 effect that in a clear sky Venus may be seen in daylight with 

 the naked eye, when her angular distance from the sun is not 

 less than 10 at inferior conjunction, and not less than 5 at 

 superior conjunction. 



On pages 347-8 particulars are given of a naked eye observa- 

 tion made at noon on July 6, 1892, when the angular distance 

 between Venus and the Sun was less than 7. This was a little 

 over three days before inferior conjunction. Three of these 

 conjunctions have occurred since then in February, 1894, 

 September, 1895 and April, 1897 but, so far as I know, no 

 closer observation was got at any of them. On the morning of 

 February 14th, 1894, 1 saw Venus with naked eye, when less 

 than two days before inferior conjunction ; but this was not a 

 " daylight " observation as defined in the article cited ; and, 

 besides, the elongation was more than 7. This observation was 

 one of a pair, which, as a pair, had some rather curious features. 

 (See Series II., Vol. I, pp. 391-4.) 



The chief purpose of this note is to make a few additions to 

 what was said in the Daylight article about observations made 

 near superior conjunction. M. Trouvelot thought that Venus 

 should be as easy to the naked eye in full daylight, when only 

 5 from superior conjunction as when 10 from inferior con- 

 junction. My reasons for thinking so too are given on pages 

 349-52. But when writing that article, the best reliable 

 observation of this kind I had been able to make near any 

 superior conjunction was made thirty-six days after the one in 

 May, 1893, when the elongation was 10. (p. 351.) 



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