Review of Science and Industry, 



A MONTHLY RECORD OF PROGRESS IN 



SCIENCE, MECHANIC ARTS AND LITERATURE. 



VOL. VI. JANUARY and FEBRUARY, 1883. NO. 9-10, 



ASTRONOMY. 



TRANSIT OF VENUS, DECEMBER 6th, 1882. 



EDGAR L. LARKIN, NEW WINDSOR, ILLINOIS, OBSERVATORY. 



The beginning of the transit was witnessed at this observatory. The sun 

 rose clear on that eventful day, and the winds were hushed into a calm, while the 

 atmosphere was in fair condition for telescopic manipulation. 



The sky at sunrise, yh. 15m., was clear in all directions, and remained so un- 

 til yh. 30m., when faint tufts of clouds in rapid motion appeared in the north- 

 west. A hght but cold wind began, and in a few minutes heavier cloud-masses 

 appeared — the fore-runners having reached the zenith, moving rapidly eastward. 

 At 7h. 50m., a huge bank of lead-colored clouds had attained an altitude of 50 

 degrees in the west, and matters assumed a dubious appearance. The hopes and 

 expectations cherished from boyhood seemed about to be crushed by overwhelm- 

 ing disappointment. 



At 7h. 55m., a cloud detached itself from the rising wall and moved toward 

 the sun, obscuring it at 7h. 58m. Surely the times became critical, for the transit 

 by computation made for the longitude of New Windsor was to begin at near 8h. 

 im. The cloud must move away in three minutes, or we would fail to behold 

 the first contact. 



We remark that five minutes before the calculated time of contact we set the 



V.I_33 



