Notes

Abstract

THE Bonner Zeitung publishes a letter of Dr. Seeliger, containing the first detailed reports from the German party of observers sent to the Auckland Islands to observe the Transit of Venus. Dr. Seeliger speaks of the weather in these islands as the most wretched imaginable; enough, he says, to drive an astronomer to despair. “Clear evenings, are very rare, and sunshine a phenomenon” On Dec. 9, at 12.45 P.M., “Venus was to appear on the sun's disc; one minute passes after another, and still all is covered. At last the clouds thin a little, and without dark glass we can easily see Venus, that had just entered on the sun's disc. The two first contacts, which, however, were of less value to us, were lost therefore. A quarter of an hour afterwards a little gap shows itself in the clouds, the sun breaks through, and we at once set to work, so as not to lose a single moment. And now comes the wonder! For nearly four hours the sun remains completely free from clouds. In the east and in the west thick clouds; only where the sun stands it is clear. Hardly has Venus passed off the sun's disc, therefore hardly have we completely succeeded with our measurements, when the sky is again overcast all over. To-day the day is dull, as usual. As affairs stand we shall very likely have to stop here two or two-and-a-half months longer, because we have not yet been able to do anything for the other astronomical data, which are indispensable. On the one hand it is hardly possible to do anything in this climate at this time, and then we finished our general preparations only a long time after we thought we should do so.”