 In a paper published in 1691 , and a more refined one in <unk> , he proposed that more accurate calculations could be made using measurements of a transit of Venus , although the next such event was not due until 1761 . Halley died in 1742 , but in 1761 numerous expeditions were made to various parts of the world so that precise observations of the transit could be made in order to make the calculations as described by Halley — an early example of international scientific collaboration . This collaboration was , however , <unk> by competition , the British , for example , being spurred to action only after they heard of French plans from Joseph @-@ Nicolas <unk> . In an attempt to observe the first transit of the pair , astronomers from Britain , Austria and France traveled to destinations around the world , including Siberia , Norway , Newfoundland and Madagascar . Most managed to observe at least part of the transit , but successful observations were made in particular by Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason at the Cape of Good Hope . Less successful , at Saint Helena , were <unk> <unk> and Robert <unk> , although they put the voyage to good use by <unk> the lunar @-@ distance method of finding longitude . 
