The Observer's Handbook 1957
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THE OBSERVER'S HANDBOOK 1957 Forty-Ninth Year of Publication THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA Price 75 cents THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA The Society was incorporated in 1890 as The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, assuming its present name in 1903. The Society is national in extent, having active centres in Halifax, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Windsor, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. In addition to 1500 members of these Canadian Centres there are nearly 500 members not attached to any centre, mostly resident in other nations, while some 300 additional institutions or persons receive our publications. The Society publishes a bi-monthly J o u r n a l and the annual O b s e r v e r ’s H a n d b o o k . Membership, which includes the publications, is open to anyone interested in astronomy. Annual dues $3.00; life membership $50.00. Applications for member ship or publications should be made to The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 252 College Street, Toronto 2 B, Ontario. Editorial Office— David Dunlap Observatory, Richmond Hill, Ontario. Editors—C. A. Chant, Ruth J. Northcott. CALENDAR 1957 Jan. Feb. Mar. April SMTWTFS SMTWTFS SMTWTFS SMTWTFS 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 6789 10 11 12 3456789 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 789 10 11 12 13 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 2223 24 25 26 27 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 2425 26 27 28 29 30 2829 30 31 ..................................... May June July Aug. SMTWTFS SMTWTFS SMTWTFS SMTWTFS 1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 30 ..................................... Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. SMTWTFS SMTWTFS SMTWTFS SMTWTFS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 29 30 31 ....................... Get Our Giant FREE Catalog I Save Money on Astronomical Telescopes and Components MANY WAR SURPLUS ITEMS! Complete Line of Astro UNUSUAL nomical Telescope Parts and Assembled Telescopes. Also huge selection of lenses, prisms, war surplus optical instruments, parts and accessories. Telescopes, microscopes, binoculars. Hand OPTICAL spectroscopes, reticles, mirrors, Ronchi rulings, dozens of other hard-to-get optical items. America’s No. 1 source of supply for Telescope Makers, Photographers, Hobbyists, etc. Ask for FREE BARGAINS Catalog V. EDMUND SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION I Barrington, New Jersey U.S.A. THE OBSERVER’S HANDBOOK 1957 E d it e d b y C. A. C h a n t a n d R u t h N o r t h c o t t Forty-Ninth Year of Publication THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 252 C o l l e g e S t r e e t , T o ro n to 2B, O n t a r io GEORGE VARCOE, TORONTO CONTENTS PAGE C a le n d a r ............................................................................... Cover p. ii P r e f a c e ................................................................................................3 Anniversaries and F e s t i v a l s ...................................................3 Symbols and Abbreviations.......................................................... 4 The Constellations . 5 Miscellaneous Astronomical D a t a .................................................... 6 Ephemeris of the Sun ............................................. 7 Principal Elements of the Solar System .............................................8 Satellites of the Solar S y s t e m ............................................................9 Solar and Sidereal T i m e .......................................................... 10 Map of Standard Time Z on es ..........................................................11 Julian Day C alendar ........................................................................ 11 Times of Sunrise and S u n se t ..........................................................12 Times of Beginning and Ending of Twilight .... 19 Times of Moonrise and M o o n set .................................................. 20 The Planets for 1957 26 The Sky and Astronomical Phenomena Month by Month . 32 Phenomena of Jupiter’s S a t e llit e s .................................................. 56 Ephemeris for Physical Observation of the Moon . 57 Ephemeris for the Physical Observation of the Sun . 58 Eclipses, Transit of Mercury, 1957 ............................................ 59 Lunar Occultations, 1957 60 Meteors, Fireballs and M eteorites.................................................. 61 The Brightest Stars, their magnitudes, types, proper motions, distances and radial velocities and navigations stars . 62 Table of Precession for 50 Years . ....................................73 Double and Multiple Stars .................................................................74 Variable S ta rs .......................................................................................76 Clusters and Nebulae: Star Clusters 78 Galactic N ebulae ........................................................................ 79 Extra-galactic Nebulae .................................................................80 Four Circular Star M a p s .................................................................81 PRINTED IN CANADA BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS PREFACE The O b s e r v e r ’s H a n d b o o k for 1957 is the 49th and largest yet published. Interest in astronomy has increased steadily in the last ten years: the current impetus of the International Geophysical Year is coupled with that of rapid and incredible developments in many fields related to astronomy. The advances being made daily in radio astronomy, missiles research and the proposed launching of man-made satellites have led the intelligent layman to feel the need for a greater knowledge of the fundamentals of astronomy. To meet this need, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, despite limited funds and staff, is expanding its programme of activities, increasing the size of its library, and broadening the scope of its publications to include articles and data applicable to these new fields . Those now using the O b s e r v e r ’s H a n d b o o k for the first time will find here the most basic astronomical data in a highly usable form. Those readers already experienced in the use of the O b s e r v e r ’s H a n d b o o k can accommodate readily to certain new arrangement of the material. Lunar observers will welcome the addition of the ephemeris for the physical observation of the moon. Cordial thanks are tendered to all those who assisted in preparing this volume, especially to the following: Gustav Bakos, Barbara Gaizauskas, Charles M. Good, James Hogg, Ross Lemire, Isabel K. Williamson and Dorothy Yane. Special thanks are due Margaret W. Mayall, A.A.V.S.O. Recorder, for the predictions of times of maxima of the long-period variables. Our deep indebtedness to the British Nautical Almanac and the American Ephemeris is thankfully acknowledged. R u t h J . N o r t h c o t t David Dunlap Observatory, Richmond Hill, Ont., Sept. 1956. ANNIVERSARIES AND FESTIVALS. 1957 New Year’s Day. .. .Tue. Jan. 1 Trinity Sunday........................... June 16 Epiphany........................Sun. Jan. 6 Corpus Christi.............. Thu. June 20 Accession of Queen St. John Baptist (Mid Elizabeth (1952)___ Wed. Feb. 6 summer D ay)............Mon. June 24 Septuagesima Sunday Feb. 17 Dominion Day..............Mon. July 1 St. D avid........................Fri. Mar. 1 Birthday of Queen Mother Quinquagesima (Shrove Elizabeth (1900).... Sun. Aug. 4 Sunday)................................ Mar. 3 Labour D ay ...................Mon. Sept. 2 Ash Wednesday Mar. 6 Hebrew New Year St. Patrick......................Sun. Mar. 17 (Rosh Hashanah)__ Thu. Sept. 26 Palm Sunday...............................Apr. 14 St. Michael Good Friday Apr. 19 (Michaelmas Day) . .Sun. Sept. 29 Easter Sunday Apr. 21 All Saints’ Day .............Fri. Nov. 1 Birthday of Queen Remembrance Day. .Mon. Nov. 11 Elizabeth (1926).... Sun. Apr. 21 St. Andrew Sat. Nov. 30 St. George...................... Tue. Apr. 23 First Sunday in Advent............Dec. 1 Empire Day (Victoria Christmas Day..............Wed. Dec. 25 D ay ) Mon. May 20 Rogation Sunday... ........... May 26 Ascension Day . .Thu. May 30 Thanksgiving Day, date Pentecost (Whit Sunday) June 9 set by Proclamation SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS SUN, MOON AND PLANETS ASPECTS AND ABBREVIATIONS SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC THE GREEK ALPHABET Alpha Iota Rho Beta Kappa Sigma Gamma Lambda Tau Delta Mu Upsilon Epsilon Nu Phi Zeta Xi Chi Eta Omicron Psi Theta Pi Omega THE CONFIGURATIONS OF JUPITER’S SATELLITES In the Configurations of Jupiter’s Satellites (pages 33, 35, etc.), O represents the disk of the planet, d signifies that the satellite is on the disk, * signifies that the satellite is behind the disk or in the shadow. Configurations are for an inverting telescope. CALCULATIONS FOR ALGOL The calculations for the minima of Algol are based on the epoch J.D. 2434576.5110 and period 2.86731 days as published in the 1954 International Supplement, Kracow Observatory.