The result was that, if it happened to clear off after a cloudy evening, I frequently arose from my bed at any hour of the night or morning and walked two miles to the observatory to make some observation included in the programme.

Newcomb describes the practical discipline behind observational astronomy: work is dictated not by comfort or routine but by the weather and the observing schedule. The image of rising at any hour and walking miles to the observatory underscores a scientist’s willingness to subordinate personal convenience to the fleeting availability of clear skies and the demands of a planned research “programme.” Beyond its literal meaning, the passage functions as a quiet argument for perseverance and method—scientific results are often the cumulative product of many small, inconvenient acts carried out reliably over time.