EXPLANATORY NOTE.-The figure shows at a glance when all of the major planets are brightest, and whether east of the Sun (evening stars) or west of him, and morning stars, at the time. It also shows the relative duration of visibility and brightness as to the superior planets, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. With Venus, the light-shaded portion simply is the approximate measure of duration and place of visibility and not of brilliancy, while of the others it (the light portion) shows both the duration and brilliancy. Thus, Jupiter will be brightest July 5, and then will shine equally in the morning and evening; the last of December he will decrease almost to invisibility. It will be seen that Mars does not attain his maximum degree of brilliancy within the year. Venus, being an inferior planet, between the Earth and Sun, can never be seen opposite the Sun, as in the case of the others on the chart, nor is she at her greatest brilliancy when farthest (in angular distance) from the Sun, as shown. From this it will be seen that the light portions represent the comparative angular distance of the planets from the Sun. Then each of the twelve spaces will be one hour spaces of 15° each, when the day and night are equal, and more when the night is more than twelve hours duration. Of course, the chart can only show an approximation as to the boundaries of the light portion. It will, however, prove a valuable aid to the average person who is not an astronomer in understanding the movements of the planets and definitely settling the question of what constitutes Evening and Morning Stars. In this connection, see “Planets Brightest,”“Evening and Morning Stars" and the table of “Rising, Setting and Meridian Passage of the Planets.” Replies to any questions will be sent to all who inclose a stamped and selfaddressed envelope, by Berlin H. Wright, De Land, Fla. SITUATION OF THE PLANETS FOR THE SUNDAYS: ALSO MOON'S POSITION FOR THE YEAR. | Sept. Planet. |D.C.D. C.D. C.D. C.|D.C.D.C.|D. C.|D. C. D.C.|D.C.|D. C.|D.C. Jupiter... 197167 16 20 7 18 f|15 ↑ Saturn.. 278 24 8 28 8 26 8 | 238| 288 268 238 23 8 27 8 26 8 22 8 The third largest city of Norway is Trondhjem, which on December 1, 1910, had a population of 45,228. Lowest of the year, 57° lower than when full, in December. †Highest of the year, 57° higher than when full, in June. Explanation of Signs.- Aries. 8 Taurus. Gemini Cancer. Leo. m Virgo Libra. m Scorpio. ↑ Bagittarius. Capricornus. Aquarius. * Pisces. The place indicated for the planets is for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth Sundays of each month, in the order of the planeta. 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 (281⁄4°+5°)x2, 5° being the inclination of the orbit of the Moon to the ecliptic. January. January. January. February February February March.. March. March. April. April. April. May. May May June. June. June. July July July Sets. H. M. H. M. 1 8 6 8 27 19 19 8 47 1 2 41 2 55 11 39 2 10 11 1 45 2 17 21 1 56 2 27 1 2 14 2 42 112 31 2 56 21 2 54 3 13 August. 1 3 16 3 30 11 3 39 3 47 21 4 1 4 6 December.. 15 43 5 19 Rises. H.M. H. M. H. M. 642 Rises. H.M. H. M. H. M. 10 48 6 23 5 47 11 16 6 48 6 13 41 10 46 6 18 35 24 9 43 5 14 16 4 19 3 43 8 3 21 8 57 2 59 46 2 37 33 2 12 5 43 5 58 10 25 39 10 610 41 -Sets. H.M. H. M.|H. M. 9 4 4 16 3 50 8 19 3 30 3 1 7 38 2 49 2 24 6 55 2 6 1 41 6 16 1 28 1 2 5 39 0 51 0 25 5 9 0 22 11 51 4 32 11 42 11 16 3 5611 610 40 3 17 10 28 10 1 2 42 9 54 9 27 2 7 9 20 8 53 1 33 8 47 8 19 0 59 8 14 7 46 0 25 7 41 7 13 11 47-Rises. 11 13 3 55 4 59 10 39 3 19 4 24 10 5 2 45 3 50 9 31 2 10 3 16 8 56 1 34 2 41 8 18 0 56 2 5 7 42 0 20 1 27 7 611 47 0 51 6 26 11 70 14 5 48 10 29 11 38 5 10 9 5111 0 4 31 9 12 10 22 0 19 4 50 9 19 9 53 he second largest city in Belgium is Antwerp, which on December 31, 1909, had a population of 317,171. NOTE.-By using the above table in connection with the Chart of the Heavens these planets may be located at all times. Example: Venus on July 1 will be in Right Ascension (R. A.) III, or 3h. 30m. On the margin of the Chart of the Heavens locate a point midway between III and IV and then connect that point with the Pole Star, and on that line and on or near enough to the ecliptic circle for all practical purposes, is the location of Venus, which is just south of the Pleiades, or 7-Star. The declination of the planets is omitted, because that must close to the ecliptic circle. The XIIth Meridian of R. A. is graduated into spaces of 10° of declination, sufficient to approximate the declination on any Meridian; Mars on October 21 will be about 10° S. W. of Castor and Pollux in II. 2 in May and June will be nearly between Job's Coffin on the N. and the Milkmaid's Dipper, and Saturn will be about midway between the Pleiades and Hyades. The Meridian passage of is omitted, as it always must occur in the daytime. RIGHT ASCENSION OF THE PLANETS. Uranus runs from R. A. 20 hours 19 minutes January 1 to 20 hours 33 minutes December 31. Neptune runs from R. A. 7 hours 47 minutes January 1 to 7 minutes December 31. The third largest city in the Netherlands is The Hague, which in 1910 had a population of 270,109. *For use in connection with Sidereal Noon Table. 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 that star's altitude above the north point of the horizon or below the The total loss caused by the fire following the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906, exceeded $500,000,000. 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 25 p. m. Subtract... 32 13 24 Fomalhaut "ris." and "set." column. 8 13 p.m. of the 31st-Time of meridian passage. 4 0 12 13, 0.13 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° aparta convenient celestial unit because always in sight. The "Yardstick" or "Ell and Yard" in Orion, or the "Kings," is just 32 long, or 12° 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. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. All others A. M. Note.-Full-faced figures are P. M. MOON'S PLACE AT 7 P. M. AND SOUTHING, OR UPPER MERIDIAN, PASSAGE FOR THE MERIDIAN AT WASHINGTON. The Cape Cod Canal, now in course of construction from Massachusetts Bay to Bus zard's Bay, will be 13 miles long, with a channel 30 feet deep at high water. |