158 
NATURE 
[ Dec. 14, 1882 
met for an instant, but did not unite permanently till 
th. 48m. 28s. (Markree mean time). Venus was visible 
on the sun till sunset. I measured its semi-diameter 
=—20 1,07, W. DOBERCK 
Markree Observatory, December 7 
THE ingress of Venus was observed at the Armagh 
Observatory under very favourable circumstarces. I 
employed the 15-inch reflector in the Newtonian form 
with an unsilvered flat mirror and a negative eyepiece 
(power 140) and glass wedge. With an aperture of eleven 
inches the sun's limb was “boiling” considerably, so 
that I missed the exact moment of external contact; but 
having reduced the aperture to seven inches, the internal 
contact was very well seen. At 1h. 49m. 31s. local M.T. 
-the whole circumference of Venus could be seen; at 
th. 54m. 49s. I saw a faint shade-like object between the 
cusps, which broke at 1h. 55m. 24s., when a very thin 
bright line separated Venus from the sky outside; 27s. 
afterwards the interval was very conspicuous. Rev. Ch. 
Faris, assistant astronomer, observed with the 4-inch 
finder attached to the same instrument, and every care 
was taken to make the two observations independent of 
oneanother. He observed external contact at 1h. 35m. 34s., 
and saw the cusps meeting at th. 551. ros. without ob- 
serving any disturbance of the limb. Good determina- 
tions of time were obtained on the previous and following 
evenings. J. L -ESDREVER 
Armagh Observatory, December 9 
THE all-important 6th of December, 1882, will long be 
remembered by us in Lochaber, who had eagerly looked 
forward to a sight of the transit of Venus. Our hopes 
were realised to the full, and considering our somewhat 
high latitude, we were privileged indeed. An account of 
the meteorological conditions will be of introductory 
interest. A barometric depression had two days previously 
travelled down from the vicinity of the Faroe Islands, 
bringing overcast weather and rain—very discouraging— 
but the mercury rapidly rose in its rear on the night of 
the 4th, light north-easterly winds set in, the sky cleared 
on the 5th, and free radiation, and a hard frost followed 
with charming winter weather. At 9 a.m. on the 6th the 
barometer, corrected and reduced to 32°F. and mean 
sea-level read 29°677, and was steady, dry bulb 27°3, iced 
bulb 261, giving a vapour tension of ‘112, relative 
humidity 76 per cent., and a dew point of 20°9. Light airs 
were noted from north-east by east, and some pieces of 
innocent-looking cumulus clouds were observed. Brown- 
ing’s spectroscope, soon after 9 a.m., showed an entire 
absence of rain-band to the left of the D line, in the 
solar spectrum, but a broad telluric band stronger than 
usual was observed on the right of D ; this, however, did 
not much distress me. The meteorological conditions 
generally continued much the same, the weather being 
very fine. When the hour for the beginning of the transit 
drew nigh, I repaired to a field adjacent, entirely open 
to south-west, with telescope and sketching equipment. 
Here an uninterrupted view of the sun could be obtained 
The instrument employed has a clear aperture of 23 
inches, object-glass of first quality by Dancer of Man- 
chester, power used 70. A few clouds near the 
sun about 1.53 caused anxiety, but they soon cleared 
off, and a perfect and continuous view of the sun 
was obtained. Two good watches and clock were set 
to Greenwich mean time, obtained with all possible 
accuracy from post-office signal in the morning. Consi- 
dering the sun’s low altitude, the thick stratum of 
atmosphere traversed by the oblique rays, tremors of the 
air, and effects of atmospheric refraction, the phenomenon 
of the ingress was well observed in the telescope. The 
external contact, when the dark body of Venus just in- 
dented the sun’s limb, south-east by south, took place at 
2h. 3m. 15s. Greenwich mean time (see sketch No. 1), by 
2h. 13m. os. the half of the planet was upon the sun; 
sketch numbered here 2 (several others not now given 
were taken) was made just before the internal contact ; 
and at 2h. 22m. 4os. I noted the internal contact. At this 
time (sketch No. 3) I observed the ligament joining the 
edges of Venus and the sun, like the thread between two 
drops of water when about to part, and the planet was 
much in shape as an apple with the stem joining on to 
the edge of the solar orb. At 2h. 23m. 47s. (sketch No. 4) 
Venus was as a round black spot upon the sun, and clear 
of his edge, and a narrow streak of light intervened. By 
this time friends had gathered around, and as the chief 
observations had been made they were enabled to take 
turn at the instrument and watch the progress of the 
planet in its course across the sun’s disc, until a mass of 
cumulus cloud at 2.45 put a stop to observation. The 
outline of Venus against the sun was very irregular 
(sketch No. 5). Mr. Colin Livingston, of the public 
schools, also observed the ingress independently, and we 
agree to the very second that the internal contact took 
place 19m. 25s. after the external contact. The sun's 
f 2 
&} 
4 
2ESM ISS 2420" 475 24 22" 405 25 237 475 
5 6 
Transit between 
2.30 and 2.45. 
Venus distorted shortty before 
sunset, photosphere apparently 
bisecting planet. 
The Transit of Venus (Ingress) as observed by Clement L. Wragge. 
photosphere by the way was almost wholly free from 
spots. Just a stippling was observed a little west from 
the centre, and a small disturbance was noted in perspec- 
tive near the eastern limb—in marked contrast with the 
great spot regions well observed here on November 16, 
and now probably existing in the opposite hemisphere. 
The sun’s edge was very uneven, as I have attempted to 
show in the sketches. The highest temperature during 
the day, it is worthy of mention, was only 309, and pres- 
sure remained fairly steady at a mean of 29 670 at sea- 
level. Views of the transit were again obtained before 
sunset, but the intensity of refraction near the horizon so 
distorted both the sun and Venus—the former being like 
an egg in shape, and the latter at times as shown in sketch 
No. 6—that I could but wistfully watch them go down 
together on a gorgeous sky behind the snow-clad heights 
of Beinn na Cille, envy our cousins in the west their sight 
of the egress, and wonder under what strange circum- 
stances the next transit will be observed in the year of 
our Lord, 2004. CLEMENT LINDLEY WRAGGE 
Fort William, December 10 
THIS rare phenomenon was well observed here on the 
6th inst. The few clouds which partially hid the sun 
during the first stages of the transit, only served a useful 
purpose in moderating the sun’s brilliancy. At about 
2 p.m. a dark indentation was observed on thejsouth-east 
margin of the sun’s limb, and it was evident the pheno- 
menon had commenced. A few minutes later this 
indentation had developed into a semicircular notch, and 
at about 2.21 p.m. the black and now complete;circle of 
Venus had fully entered upon the solar disc. It was 
very large and conspicuous, and its effect, even as ob- 
served in small telescopes, was very striking. The opaque 
and well-defined globe of the planet was projected with 
remarkable boldness upon the sun’s bright photosphere. 
Protecting the naked eye with deeply tinted glass, the 
planet was very plainly seen; indeed, the dark spot was 
thus clearly distinguishable before it had entered fully 
