242 TRANSIT OF VENUS, 1874. WAIMEA. 



Time by Sidereal 

 Chronometer N. 



h ra s 



At 20. 47. 7 '2 a distinct band of light between edge of Venus and 



Sun's limb. 

 20. 47. 15-4 Venus well on the Sun's disk. 



No Uaclc drop appeared. When internal contact was very near, the 

 brownish smoke-like colour between the edge of Venus and the Sun began 

 to clear off. 



At 20 h . 35 m . s the entire disk of Venus was perfectly visible, the part 

 outside the Sun having a faint ring of light round it, except at the western 

 edge. The light was visible round it about two-thirds of the extent of 

 Venus outside the Sun. At 20\ 39 m . 30 s . the ring of light was complete. 



I am inclined to think the actual contact took place between 20 h . 46 m . 53 S> 

 and 20 h . 47 m . 2 s- 3, the light appearing to break through at the first time, and 

 certainly at the last. 



At 20 h . 46 m . 53 S> light flashed for an instant between the edge of Venus 

 and the Sun's limb, but immediately disappeared. It was as if the cusps met 

 in a flash. 



At 20 h . 47 m . 2"'3 the cusps most certainly met, and after that the light 

 between the edge of Venus and the Sun's limb continued to widen until 

 20 h . 47 m . 7 S> 2, when the band of light between the edge of Venus and the 

 Sun's limb was very distinct. The reason I am inclined to put the contact 

 a little before 20 h . 47 m . 2 S> 3 is in consequence of the flash of light before 

 mentioned, and the short time which elapsed before Venus was well on 

 the Sun. 



Ordinarily in the model, one sees a dark (black) band between Venus and 

 the Sun's limb just before contact, and the light breaks through this band. 

 In the actual transit, as I observed it, no llack band appeared, but in place 

 of that a smoke-coloured darkness, through which it was much more difficult 

 to discern the breaking through of light, or in other words the meeting of 

 the cusps. 



About 7 m . 32 s -3 before the actual contact, the light of the Sun crept round 

 the outside edge of Venus, which, though very faint, was distinctly visible. 

 Mr. Wellings observed it as well as myself, as I called his attention to it so 

 that there should be no mistake about it. This light continued till very near 

 contact, when it became excessively faint, and the smoke-like appearance I 

 have measured took its place. 



