for anoty years until resurrected in England by Nevil Maskelyne, tronomer royal. In Dava Sobel’s popular book Longitude, Maskelyne is presented as a ninnyand villain for failing to appreciate t ed to mentioned in least foro ain of sufficiently regular so judge its mass.
At y agreed to engage a reliable figure to tour tiso see if sucain could be found. Maskelyne kne sucronomer and surveyor C to measure an astronomical event of great importance:
t Venus across tireless Edmond ed years before t if you measured one of ted points on triangulation to tance to t calibrate tances to all tem.
Unfortunately, transits of Venus, as t years apart, but t for a century or more, and time.
3But t transit came due in 1761,nearly ter ific ronomical event before.
itinct for ordeal t cerized tists set off for more tions around to Siberia, Ccy-taineigill ot out from Saly, Germany, Ireland, andelsewhere.
It cooperative international scientific venture, and almost everyo problems. Many observers ions but opened tes to find equipment broken or ropical .
Once again ted to provide t memorably unlucky participants.
Jean C montraveling to Siberia by coac, and sleigeinstruments over every perilous bump, only to find t vital stretc transit ietury.
rivers, t of unusually to blame on er ting strange instruments at to escape s.
Unluckier still il, il set off from France a yearaime to observe transit from India, but various setbacks left ill at sea on transit—just about t place to be since steady measurements ching ship.
Undaunted, Le Gentil continued on to India to a t transit in 1769. ityears to prepare, ed a first-rate vieation, tested and retested ruments,and ate of perfect readiness. On transit, June4, 1769, o a fine day, but, just as Venus began its pass, a cloud slid in front of t exactly tion of transit: teenminutes, and seven seconds.
Stoically, Le Gentil packed up ruments and set off for t port, but