THE EXPECTED TRANSIT OF THE PLANET VULCAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4789, 23 March 1877, Page 2

THE EXPECTED TRANSIT OF THE PLANET VULCAN.

The announcement that a transit of the plauet Vulcau acros3 the eun's disc would take place yesterday did not, so far as Auckland is concerned, create any. marked interest. Captain Heale has left, tho province, and 'is now resident in Dunedin, and his successor, Mr. Smith, having no instruments fixed " for the purpose, has taken no observations. This is not in consequence of want -of interest itf tUia astronomical phenomenon, but on account of the change of offices, which prevented suitable arrangements from being carried out. Mr. Cheeseman.did take observations in the forenoon 'np .to half-past"9 o'clock, but did not observe the transit: and for several hours after that the eky was so much clouded and overcast thaV the sun was not visible. So far as we have been able toleira no other attempt was tnede in thia city ' to : ohserve ' the phenomenon. Mr. Lambert, who gives great attention to astronomy, and who maintains . a ■ correspondence - with the Astronomical Society of London, happens to be. out 'of -towa, on a visit to Waiuku, but he has, we understand, taken suitable instruments' with' him, and ma yi;P er hap 3 « haye obtained a good vitw of the transit if it "did occur.' ;We say, it it did occur, for not only was there apparently no certainty that it would take place yesterday it any fixed time, but ■ many ""eminent astronomers doubt the'existence "o£ x the planet f-Vulcan altogether.- .Inasmuch as vexed astronomical question ;wpnld',hare '> been settled had • the transit' .-t»keri" ii pUaee, and been observed,' 'we : regret ■' tfiat no system of observation was , adopted in Auckland. ' We -have. ho doubt, /however, but ■ that a careful / watch; has been maintained in other places where matters of .this kind, excite greater ; interest., rVulcan, if it exists at all, is one of the nine , primary planets, and must riot , Jba'degraded by being put amongst the planetoids, wHich revolve between the orbits of Mare and Jupiter. It is between Mercury and "the sun, and'so i* the nearest of all the planets' bo the centre of the solar system. There "is sbmethibg of romance about Vulcan. M.-Xescarbaalt. physician, : claims ■'' to ■' have; discovered Vulcan on the 26th of March, 1859, but the unfortunate planet has not been seen since, Whether it forms an exception to the dreadful regularity of the heavenly - bodies, or whether M. Lescarbault mistook something else for a new planet crossing the disc of the sun, will, :if not determined yesterday, probably be found out within the next few dav3. We notice'that preparations for observing the transit have been made in Wellington by Dr. Hector, Archdeacon Stock; and other gentlemen,- and' in consequence of the indefiniteness of the habits of this planet they have arranged to keep a "look-out all the week. If Mr. liescarbanlt has been mistaken, the scientific: world will feel itself "sold." :■ ■••.■:•■.-.-■■■ < •