LECTURE BY ARCHDEACON STOCK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6502, 14 December 1882, Page 2

LECTURE BY ARCHDEACON STOCK.

(Per United Pbkss Association.)

Wellington, December 13th. Archdeacon Stock delivered a lecture on tho transit of Venus last night. The lecturer, after a few prefatory remarks, said that books alone were of no avail in making people comprehend everything in astronomy, and if they wished to thoroughly understand the subject they must study for themselves. He then referred to the study of astronomy by the ancients, mentioning as a remarkable statement that the distance between Sun and Earth was 3aid to be embodied in mathematical propositions in the Pyramids. Referring to the beautiful phenomenon of- last week, the rev. gentleman said that he had seen the planet Verms a fortnight before the transit took place. The lecturer gave a description of what he had Men on tho mornin-j of the 7th, stating that he and Mr King had succeeded in getting the instant just when Venus left the Sun's disc He illustrated how the velocity of light was registered and counted, and said that the observations hero in connection with the transit were of more value than in Melbourne, as tho Sun was far higher in the horizon in Wellington at the time. The rev. gentleman spoke at some length on tho Sun, and distances apart of celestial bodies, and concluded by impressing on alt present the advantages of possessing a knowledge of the soienca of aatrbnomy. A vote of thanks wa'a pabaed to the lecturer.