This week (on June 3) in 1769, Captain James Cook recorded the Transit of Venus (pictured) when the planet passed directly between Earth and the Sun. Lance Morcan captures this in his bestselling historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel. Historically, the transit was crucial to astronomy because it enabled the first accurate calculation of the distance to the Sun, effectively measuring the size of the solar system.
Cook and his astronomers observed the transit from a fortified observatory at Point Venus, in Matavai Bay, Tahiti, after their bark the Endeavour anchored there enroute to the so-called Great Southern Continent, instead finding New Zealand.
Their historic observation is described in the following excerpt from Morcan’s novel in which Surgeon’s Boy Nicholas Young is an interested observer:
Nicholas felt himself caught up in the excitement even if he didn’t fully understand the significance of the event. The astronomical clock, with its gridiron pendulum, occupied pride of place in the centre of the tent. A few paces opposite stood the astronomical quadrant and journeyman clock. The telescopes themselves were the reflecting type, each with a focus of two feet, and Nicholas couldn’t help being impressed by their size.
When the transit began, Nicholas watched intrigued as Cook and Green manned the telescopes.
“Damnation!” Cook cursed, startling the onlookers. Still peering through his scope, he said, “There’s cloud up there.” He looked around at Green who nodded, indicating he concurred.
Glancing up at the clear blue sky, Nicholas wondered what the captain was talking about. The expressions on his fellow crewmates’ faces indicated they were similarly bemused.
“Venus has its own atmosphere,” Cook explained as if he’d read the minds of his men. Still peering into the scope, he said, “The planet’s rim is obscured.”
For the next 25 minutes, the men watched the captain and the assistant astronomer go about their work. As each minute passed, discussions between the pair signaled that weather conditions on the planet’s surface were steadily improving.
Nicholas could see that both men were becoming increasingly excited. Glancing at the pendulum clock that sat on a table between the two scopes, he saw it was still not quite nine-thirty.
“That’s it!” Cook said excitedly. Still peering into his scope, he added, “That’s an accurate fix, Mister Green.”
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New Zealand: A Novel is available from Harvard Book Store, Mighty Ape NZ, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Kete Books NZ, Amazon and via public libraries.
The audiobook version is available via Amazon’s Audible Audiobooks initiative. (Listening time: 11hrs. 25mins.). Amazon paperback link: https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan/dp/0473728524/
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Morcan Books & Films 