Pisces. The place indicated for the and fifth Sundays of each month, in Note. The Moon will "run high" from "Lowest" to "Highest," and "run low" from "Highest" to "Lowest." The Full Moon will be highest of the year at meridian passage December 16 and lowest June 22. She will begin to run lower March 21 and decrease in altitude until June 22. and then increase ("run higher") until December 21. after which she will gradually get lower until June 22. This because the Full Moon must always be on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun, and hence when the Sun is lowest in declination the Moon must be highest, and when the Sun is highest the Moon must be lowest. The difference between extremes being 57° or (231⁄2°+5°)x2, 5° being the inclination of the orbit of the Moon to the ecliptic. planets is for the first, second, third, fourth the order of the planets. MERIDIAN PASSAGE, RISING AND SETTING OF THE PLANETS. Mean local time. All P. M. figures are in black type. MORNING STARS (W. OF SUN.) Mercury-See "Planets Brightest." Mars, until Aug. 8. Jupiter, until Feb. 3 and after Nov. 18. EVENING STARS (E. OF SUN.) Mercury-See "Planets Brightest." Mars, after Aug. 8. Juniter, from Feb. 3 to Nov. 18. PLANETS BRIGHTEST OR BEST SEEN. Mercury (0), Feb. 1-5 and Sept. 23-30, as a Morning Star, rising about 1h. 15m. before the Sun; also Apr. 1-10 and Dec. 4-10, as an Evening Star, setting 1h. 15m, after the Sun. Venus (9), Aug. 8-12 as an Eve. Star and Oct. 21-25 as a Morn. Star. Mars (7), Nov. 24-25, all night. Jupiter (2). Apr. 30, all night. Saturn (b). Nov. 9, all night. Uranus ( or H), July 20, all night, Neptune (4), Jan. 11, all night. Note. The "Distance Apart" is between centres as seen from the centre of the earth. It should be borne in mind that bodies are not always nearest when in conjunction (6), but the above data will enable the absolute identification of the planets on or NEAR the dates given and when the conjunction occurs in the daytime. The planets, and are ignored in this connection, as usually the Moon's overpowering light will render the last two invisible and generally will be too near the Sun to be seen. Parallels Between: 45° S. and 90° S. 88° N. and 30° N. 90° N. and 13° N. 45° N. and 31° S. parallels of lati Note. The occultations will only be visible within the given tude when both the planet and the Moon are above the horizon after dark at the time of 6 in R. A. given. See Table of Conjunctions with the Moon for distance apart of centres. Explanation.-The light portions show when and to what extent each of the planets named will be visible. Examples.-Venus will be east of the Sun, an evening star, and increasing her angular distance from the Sun until July 7, and will be brightest August 10, when much nearer the Sun. After this she approaches the Sun and decreases in brightness to invisibility September 15. when at inferior conjunction, or exactly between the Earth and Sun. She reappears, shortly after her conjunction, west of the Sun as a morning star, and again widens her distance from the Sun until November 26, being brightest October 22. Mars starts in the year as a morning star and gradually grows in brightness as he recedes from the Sun, until November 25, when he will be at opposition, or 180° from the Sun, rising at sunset and shining all night. He will begin to be seen in the evening hours August 9, and by about December 1 he may very properly be called an "all-night star," appearing equally in the evening and morning hours. THE BRIGHTEST STARS. Explanation.-By the absolute scale of magnitudes stars brighter than Aldebaran and Altair are indicated by fractional or negative quantities, thus Vega 0.2 and Sirius -1.4. As the magnitudes increase the brilliancy decreases, each increase of a unit being equal to a decrease of about two and one-half in brightness. To ascertain when any star or constellation will be on the upper meridian, add the numbers opposite in the column "for meridian passage" to the figures in the table "Sidereal noon" following this note. Note whether the figures be "Morn" or "Eve." If "Morn" and the sum is more than 12 hours, the result will be evening of the same day; if "Eve" and the sum is more than 12 hours, the result will be morning of the next day. Having found the time of meridian passage, for the rising subtract and for the setting add the numbers opposite the name of the star in the column headed "For Rising and Setting," observing the directions as to "Morn" and "Eve," as given above. Those stars marked - in the last column are circumpolar and do not rise or set in the latitude of New York City. Stars having an asterisk (*) in the last column are only to be seen in the far south and when near the meridian, as the vapors of the horizon will obscure them at rising and setting. To tell how high up from the nearest point of the horizon a star will be at its meridian passage, subtract the declination of the star from 90°, and if the result is less than the latitude of the place of the observer that star will neither rise nor set, but is circumpolar, and the difference between that result and the latitude shows the star's altitude above the north point of the horizon or below the southern horizon. Or, (90° dec.) -latitude altitude or elevation of the star above the nearest point of the horizon at meridian passage for stars of a south declination. Examples: Sidereal noon, October 30. 9 28 p. m. Fomalhaut in "meridian" column.... 22 48 Subtract..... Fomalhaut "ris." and "set." column. 32 16 8 16 p. m. of the 31st-Time of meridian passage. 4 0 12 16, 0.16 a. m. of Nov. 1, the time of setting. Declination of Fomalhaut 30° south; therefore 90° 30° 60° 40° 20° = altitude of Fomalhaut in latitude 40° north at the time of the meridian passage of that star. To measure celestial distances with the eye, keep in mind that one-third of the distance from the zenith to the horizon is 30°. For smaller measurements use the "Pointers" in the "Big Dipper." which are nearly 5° apart-a convenient celestial unit because always in sight. The "Yardstick" or "Ell and Yard" in Orion, or the "Kings." is just 3° long, or 1% each way from the central star (see Star table). When the declination of a star is such as to bring it nearer to the zenith than to the horizon at meridian passage, use its zenith distance to locate it. The difference between latitude and declination = zenith distance. If declination is greater than latitude, such difference is to be counted northward (otherwise southward) from zenith. SIDEREAL NOON OR MERIDIAN PASSAGE OF THE VERNAL EQUINOX. (For use in connection with the Star Table. See Note under same.) 1. 2. P. M. figures black. Jan. Feb. Mch. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept Oct. Nov. Dec. H. M.H. M. H. M. H. M. 1 24/11 22 9 20 7 22 1 2011 18 9 16 7 18 1 16 11 14 9 12 8. 9.. 10. 11. 12. 3. 5 20 7 14 4.. 5 16 3 14) 5. 3 10 010 58 9 81 7 65 8 3 6 072 3 21 258 2 54 4 52 2 50 1 9/10 7 11 37 9 35 Note.-Full-faced figures are P. M. All others A. M. Distances of objects at varying elevations from one foot to one thousand feet. The elevation given are in feet. |