THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.

Press, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5367, 7 December 1882, Page 3

THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.

At the time of going to press this morning the sky was very clear and promising for the observers at Burnham. From the subjoined telegrams it will be seen that the weather was also fine at other stations in New Zealand: — fpBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] TIMARU, December 6. Archdeacon Harper wUI observe the transit of Venus here to-morrow in connection with the English party at Christchurch. The weather to-night is very fine and clear. [PBKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] WELLINGTON, December 6. Arrangements for observing! the transit of Venus to-morrow morning are complete, and there is at present every appearance of the morning being bright and clear. The purely New Zealand arrangements of observers and others are as f oUows : —Mount Cook, Wellington, Mr McKerrow, S.G., and 'Mr Adams, Geodesical Surveyor; Thorndon, Wellington, Yen. Archdeacon Stock and Mr T. King; Mr BidwiU's station, "Wairarapa, BiLr J. A.. W". Harchant, Chief Suneyor, and Captain Hewitt, K.N.; New Plymouth, Mr Humphries, Chief Surveyor; Nelson, Mr A. S. Atkinson, a brother of the Colonial Treasurer; Christchurch, Mr Eitson and Mr Munro, surveyor; Timarn, Yen. Archdeacon Harper; Dunedin, Mr R. Gillies, Mr A. Beverly, and Mr H. Skey; Clyde, Dr. Hector. Complete intercommunication by_ telegraph has been effected through the aid of Dr. Lemon and his staff, and for some days and nights past time signals have been exchanged between the various observers. [IBOK OUB COBEESPOKDBNT.] ! AH preparations for observing to-mor-row's transit of Venus are now perfected. There is every sign of fine weather. The sky is cloudless and the barometer high; no wind. In connection with the transit of Venus, Colonel Tupman has succeeded in determining the exact longitude of the chief towns of New Zealand by means of telegraphic signals flashed from the Sydney ( Observatory to Burnham, and vice verta.' Dr. Lemon, Superintendent of New Zealand Telegraphs, deserves the greatest credit for the complete telegraphic arrangements made, and the means devised for the perfect receipt of the signals. The difficulty which attended the undertaking may be better understood when we remember that an ordinary message forwarded to Sydney undergoes four transmissions, viz., Christehurch to Blenheim, Blenheim to Wakapnaka, Wakapuaka to La Perouse, and La Perouse to Sydney; but as in this instance the exact longitude was required, and not the approximate, as previously determined,itwas necessary that the whole should form one complete circuit, so that signals could be sent direct from the Sydney observatory to that at Burnham. The total length of Une in circuit was therefore 1700 miles, the longest ever signalled upon in the Southern hemisphere. The battery power had to be limited to fifteen ceUs (a Uttle more than a third of the power used to work from Christchurch to Blenheim), lest the Australian cable should be injured. The signals were received on a very deUcate Thompson reflecting galvanometer, the current passing through the instrument being equal to l-1500th part of an ordinary DanieUs ceU. The signalling was most successful, being received to within a smaU fraction of a second. Mr Shapley, chief electrician of the Australian-New Zealand cable, manipulated the instrument at Sydney, and Mr GUI, of Wellington, was speciaUy deputed by Dr. Lemon to carry out the duties at Burnham.