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Venus, v. 1, issue 1, June 1944
Page 24
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VENUS MOON Of all the mysteries and puzzles of astronomy, none is further from solution than that of the moon of Venus. Between the years of 1672 and 1791 at least sixteen different observations were made, in which the planet Venus was soon accompanied by another body which appeared and performed exactly as a moon circling an inferior planet would be expected to act. But, between the times of the known observations, and after the date of the last one, no further evidence has come to light which would clarify the problem. On January 25, 1672, J.D. Cassini the French Astronomer Royal, was observing Venus in the early morning. According to Sutcliffe, Cassini saw "a small star resembling a crescent like Venus, distant from the southern horn on the western side by a space equal to the diameter of Venus." Proctor, in his "Old and New Astronomy," adds: "It was not so bright nor so well defined as Venus... and appeared to have a diameter equal to one-fourth of hers." On August 28, 1686, Cassini again observed a companion of Venus, this time on the eastern side of the planet and at a distance of about three-fifths of its diameter. Observations were continued for an hour, before sunsrise rendered observation impractable, Short, the colobrated English optician, observed a body accompanying Venus on November 3, 1740. Unwilling to trust the evidence of a single telescope, he used two, and on the second used eyepieces of 60, 140 and 240 power. Sutcliffe describes Short's observation as "a small star perfectly defined, but less luminous than the planet from which it was distant 10;-2" of are." A British astronomer named Mayer saw the same appearance in 1759. Montnigno, observing at Limogos, France, saw a companion to Venus on May 3rd, 4th and 7th, 1764, while Horrobow and several friends observed it on March 10th and 11th, 1764, also on March 16th, 28th and 29th, 1764. And Montaigno still at Limogos, saw the enigmatical companion once more in 1791. A hypothetical orbit for the supposed moon was worked out by Lambert in 1777, and was intended to reconcile the various observations up to that time. The only difficulty was, Procter points out, that Lambert was forced to assume for Venus a man ten times as great as she is supposed to have . A body two thousand miles in diameter -- the size of the body as noted by Cassini and Short -- would be conspicious during transits of Venus. During the transit of Venus on June 5, 1761, an astronomer named Schuton reported that he saw such a body, but his statement went uncorrabated by other observers. Procter says, "Cassini's observation might be perhaps explained by reflection within the long focused objections and some of these made by the less experienced observers by reflections in the eyepieces..but Scott's observations..with two reflectors...cannot be explained in either of these ways...Noiston's suggestion that there is a small planet travelling in an orbit which passes near to that of Venus... will not bear explanation." Hypotheses of cloud-like masses and gigantic explosions are also rejected. In Proctor's final words, "The observations are most perplexing." by Arthur Louis Joquel,II
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VENUS MOON Of all the mysteries and puzzles of astronomy, none is further from solution than that of the moon of Venus. Between the years of 1672 and 1791 at least sixteen different observations were made, in which the planet Venus was soon accompanied by another body which appeared and performed exactly as a moon circling an inferior planet would be expected to act. But, between the times of the known observations, and after the date of the last one, no further evidence has come to light which would clarify the problem. On January 25, 1672, J.D. Cassini the French Astronomer Royal, was observing Venus in the early morning. According to Sutcliffe, Cassini saw "a small star resembling a crescent like Venus, distant from the southern horn on the western side by a space equal to the diameter of Venus." Proctor, in his "Old and New Astronomy," adds: "It was not so bright nor so well defined as Venus... and appeared to have a diameter equal to one-fourth of hers." On August 28, 1686, Cassini again observed a companion of Venus, this time on the eastern side of the planet and at a distance of about three-fifths of its diameter. Observations were continued for an hour, before sunsrise rendered observation impractable, Short, the colobrated English optician, observed a body accompanying Venus on November 3, 1740. Unwilling to trust the evidence of a single telescope, he used two, and on the second used eyepieces of 60, 140 and 240 power. Sutcliffe describes Short's observation as "a small star perfectly defined, but less luminous than the planet from which it was distant 10;-2" of are." A British astronomer named Mayer saw the same appearance in 1759. Montnigno, observing at Limogos, France, saw a companion to Venus on May 3rd, 4th and 7th, 1764, while Horrobow and several friends observed it on March 10th and 11th, 1764, also on March 16th, 28th and 29th, 1764. And Montaigno still at Limogos, saw the enigmatical companion once more in 1791. A hypothetical orbit for the supposed moon was worked out by Lambert in 1777, and was intended to reconcile the various observations up to that time. The only difficulty was, Procter points out, that Lambert was forced to assume for Venus a man ten times as great as she is supposed to have . A body two thousand miles in diameter -- the size of the body as noted by Cassini and Short -- would be conspicious during transits of Venus. During the transit of Venus on June 5, 1761, an astronomer named Schuton reported that he saw such a body, but his statement went uncorrabated by other observers. Procter says, "Cassini's observation might be perhaps explained by reflection within the long focused objections and some of these made by the less experienced observers by reflections in the eyepieces..but Scott's observations..with two reflectors...cannot be explained in either of these ways...Noiston's suggestion that there is a small planet travelling in an orbit which passes near to that of Venus... will not bear explanation." Hypotheses of cloud-like masses and gigantic explosions are also rejected. In Proctor's final words, "The observations are most perplexing." by Arthur Louis Joquel,II
Lua de Venus De todos os mistérios e quebra cabeças da astronomia, nenhum está mais longe da solução do que a lua de Venus. Durante os anos de 1672 e 1791 pelo menos dezesseis observações diferentes foram feitas, nas quais o planeta Venus era acompahado por outro corpo celeste que se parecia e se comportava exatamente como era esperado que uma lua circulando um planeta inferior parecesse e se comportasse. Mas, entre os tempos das observações conhecidas, e após a data da última, nenhuma outra evidência veio a tona para esclarecer o problema. Em 25 de Janeiro de 1672 J.D. Cassini, o astronauta real frances, estava observando Venus de manhã cedo. De acordo com Sutcliff, Cassini viu "uma pequena estrela semelhante a uma crescente como Venus, distante do meridiano a oeste por um espaço igual ao diametro de Vênus." Vigilante em sua "Velha e Nova Astronomia," acrescenta: "Não era tão brilhante nem tão precisa quanto Vênus... e aparentava ter um diametro igual a um quarto de seu tamanho." Em 28 de Agosto de 1686, Cassini novamente observou a companhia de Vênus, dessa vez ao leste do planeta e a uma distância de aproximadamente três quintos de seu diâmetro. As observações continuaram por uma hora, antes do amanhecer torná-las impraticáveis. Short, o optometrista inglês, observou um corpo acompanhando Vênus em 03 de Novembro de 1740. Relutante em confiar na evidência de um unico telescópio, ele utilizou dois, e no segundo fez uso de lentes de 60, 140 e 240 graus. Sutcliffe descreve as observações de Short como "uma estrela perfeitamente definda, mas menos luminosa do que o planeta da qual estava estava distante." Um astronauta britanico nomeado Mayer viu a mesma aparição em 1759. Montnigno, observando de Limogos, França, viu um acompanhante de Vênus em 03, 04, e 07 de Maio de 1764, enquanto Horrobow e diversos amigos observaram isso em 10 e 11 de Março de 1764, também em Março nos dias 16, 28 e 29 do mesmo ano.
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