CELESTIAL DAY OBSERVATIONS. 
115 
carried a power of only 15, the contraction served to render the 
object tHore perceptible, 
. I Observations on the Planet Venus. 
My observations on Venus commenced about the end of Observations 
August, 1812, about 3 or 4 weeks after her inferior conjunction. p}*”u"i JVcruis 
About that time, between ten and eleven in the forenoon, ‘l'*y 
lime. 
with a power of 45, she appeared as a beautiful cre^cent, quite 
distinct and well-defined, with a lustre similar to that of the 
moon about sun-set, but of a whiter colour. The view of her 
surface and phase was almost as distinct and satisfactory, as 
what is obtained in the evening after sun-set. She was then 
very distinctly seen with a power of 7 times. 1 traced the 
variation of her phases, almost every clear day, till the month 
of May, 1813. As at that time she was not far from her 
superior conjunction with the sun, I wished to ascertain, how 
near her conjunction with that luminary s!ie might be seen j and 
particularly whether it might not be possible, in certain cases, 
to see her at the moment of her conjunction. 
The uniform language of astronomical writers on this point, 
gave me no reason to believe that my observations would be 
crowned with success. Their expressions, when describing the 
phases of Venus, either directly assert, or at least imply, that it 
is impossible, in any instance, to see that planet at the time of 
her superior conjunction. — Mr. Benjamin Martin, in his 
“ Gentleman and Lady’s Philosophy,” vol. 1. p. 54. says, “ At 
and about her upper conjunction she cannot be seen, by reason 
of her nearness to the sun." That this was not an inadvertent 
expression, appears, from the same idea being repeated in 
different words, when treating the subject in a more scientific 
manner, in his Pkilosophia Britannica, vol. 3. p. 135. “ At her 
superior conjunction Venus would appear a full enlightened 
hemisphere, were, it not that she is then lost in the sun's blaze, 
or hid behind his body.” Dr. Long, in his Astronomy, vol. 1. 
book 2. ch. 11. says, " Venus, at her superior conjunction, 
j/’ she could be seen, would appear round like the full moon." 
A iat* 
