Every once in a while, Venus crosses between the Earth and the Sun. This phenomena occurs in a pattern: two transits occur 8 years apart, and then about 121 years later the next two transits will occur. June 5, 2012 was the most recent time the transit occurred (read the Science, Technology and Business Division’s blog post about it here), and NASA predicts the next transit to be in the year 2117.
December 8, 2024 marked the 150th anniversary of the 1874 transit of Venus. The event back in 1874 prompted many countries to coordinate scientific visits to the areas directly beneath the travel line in hopes of getting the best view to collect data (assuming the weather was good!).
As early as June 1874, the “great astronomical phenomenon of the century” was featured in the newspapers.
American expeditions were being planned to various locations across the globe – a total of 8 expeditions to both the northern and southern hemispheres. The newspaper “Fair Play” (Ste. Genevieve, MO) named all the professors and photographers stationed at each location, and explained some of the science behind calculating the distance between the Sun and Earth.
An article from the Chicago Tribune was reprinted in the American Citizen (Canton, MS) titled “The Secret of Venus.” It uses very flowery, almost hyperbolic language to heighten the drama of the celestial event. What is Venus’s secret? “Nothing less than the parallactic angle of the sun.”
Meanwhile, the Marietta Journal features a much more matter-of-fact, straight-to-the-point article on the front page. As the upcoming transit of Venus was “noticed as a topic of general interest,” the article provides the very basics of the event, with commentary on the monetary expense.
The New York Herald featured highly illustrated articles on November 30 and December 7. They give extensive history to observing planetary transits and the scientific principles involved, accompanied by figures to provide visuals.
Of course, if the weather was bad, nothing could be done. Last minute changes to the expedition in New Zealand were printed the day of the event. It was reported that the expedition moved from Bluff Harbor to Queenstown (note the typo in the printed text) in hopes of getting clearer view.
And finally, reports after the event were printed in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The results of the events as seen from Nagasaki, Japan, and Hobart, Tasmania, came in via telegram reporting “partial but gratifying success.”
The international event filled the daily newspapers with Venus leading up to December 8, 1874, but it is also amusing to see how references went beyond scientific reporting, such as in this reference in an ad attempting to get more attention, an anecdotal joke told in a newspaper, and something entirely different all together (see image below).
Explore More:
The Transit of Venus March, music score by John Philip Sousa, and related collection items and essays.
Recorded lecture of NASA’s Sten Odenwald discussing the Transit of Venus prior to the June 5, 2012 transit.
Headlines and Heroes blog post: Eclipsed No More: Women Astronomers You Should Know