The disk of Venus, sticking to the limb of the
sun
like a teardrop, made timing its entrance difficult.
Conjunctions
Venus and Earth orbit the sun
with different periods
and at different inclinations.
All these terms seem metaphorical;
however, people are not planets
orbiting alone in space.
Transits of the sun are separated
by hundreds of years.
Alignments of people are separated
by fears and stupidity,
by habits and ignorance,
and their irregular orbits rarely conjoin.
In 1769, the young Joseph Banks accompanied Captain James
Cook on his voyage to Tahiti to measure the transit of Venus.
Measurements in 1761 and 1769 improved Horrock’s number but,
because of optical problems, were not definitive.
In 1769, the young Joseph Banks accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage to Tahiti to measure the transit of Venus. Measurements in 1761 and 1769 improved Horrock’s number but, because of optical problems, were not definitive.
See also in The book of science:
Readings on wikipedia: