From Quetelet's List...They Are Expressed in the Gregorian Calendar

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

From Quetelet's List...They Are Expressed in the Gregorian Calendar 728 ASTRONOMY: W. J. FISHER PROC. N. A. S. tude and mass, and thus to estimate the absolute luminosities of super- giant stars. 1 NATIONAL RuSIMRCH Fsixow. 2 Payne, Harvard Monograph No. 1, 1925 (137). 3 Payne and Shapley, Harv. Reprint, 28, 1926. 4 Maury, Harv. Ann., 28, 1900 (55). ' Milne, M. N. R. A. S., 85, 1925 (783). THE APPARITION DATES OF THE ANDROMEDE (OR BIELID) METEOR SWARMS BY WILLARD J. FISHER HARVARD COLLUGS OBSORVATORY Read before the Academy November 9, 1926 In a paper reviewing Quetelet's list' of meteor shower dates, H. A. Newton2 says: "IV. The December Periods. There appear to be two epochs in De- cember, each marking a distinct shower, viz.: Dec. 6th-7th, and Dec. 12th. There is no early date corresponding to the first epoh...." By "early date" he appears to mean dates of the eighteenth century and previous. The "first epoch" seems to mean the time of the shower now known as the Andromede or Bielid shower. This shower is traced by C. P. Oliviers back to 1741, when it appeared in early December. Its later apparitions came earlier and earlier in the year, but with a puzzling irregularity in the rate of advance of the date. In 1925 the question arose as to what was the proper date to suggest to a group of amateurs (the Bond Astronomical Club) for observation of these meteors. Finding the answer somewhat uncertain, the writer was led to apply to the data the method used by Newton, in the same paper, in forming his lists of the ancient shower dates of various swarms. Of his tables Newton says: "In the following tables are given the historic dates of star showers from Quetelet's list..... They are expressed in the Gregorian calendar, and therefore represent approximately corresponding dates of the tropical year.... To express these dates in a sidereal year there is given at the same time the corresponding day (and fraction of a day) of 1850; that is, the time when the earth's longitude in her orbit, measured from a fixed equinox, was the same as on the day of the shower. The following formula was used in the computation. "Let x be the number of days to be added to the recorded date, expressed in the Gregorian calendar, t the given year of the Christian era, n the Downloaded by guest on October 6, 2021 VOL. 12, 1926 ASTRONOMY: W. J. FISHER 729 number of leap years between the given date and A.D. 1850, and I the length in days of the sidereal year. Then, evidently, (1850 - t)l = x + 365(1850 - t) + N. To reduce this to a form better suited for computation, observe that N is equal to the integral part of 1/4(1851 - t), minus 12, plus the correction between the Gregorian and Julian calendars for the given date. Let c be this correction, e be the remainder after dividing 1851 - t by 4, 1 = 365.256374, and we obtain, by reducing, x = (1850 - t) X 0.006374 + 1/4(e - 1) + 12 - c. The integral part of (1899 - t)/100, minus the integral part of (1999 - t)/400, gives the value of 12 - c. "It will be observed that the secular variation in the value of 1, the motion of the apsis of the earth's orbit, the diminution of its excentricity, and the periodic perturbations are neglected. The terms dependent on these would together very rarely amount to one-tenth of a day. The equation of the center is therefore omitted...." Table 1 shows the data for all well-reported Andromede apparitions. The first column contains the serial number of the apparition, with suffixed a, b.... to indicate that, in the writer's judgment, the observations of different persons have to do with the same maximum. The second column contains the dates of maxima to tenths of a day, with the sign 'mdicating uncertainty inherent in the report, the sign < meaning previous to. The column headed 1850 shows the date, Universal Time, reduced after New- ton's method above. In this column ? means an uncertainty in the tenths, due either to lack of precision in the original report, or to doubt as to whether the actual maximum was seen. On account of the usual brevity of Andromede displays this latter uncertainty cannot be great. Only many observers reporting from numerous longitudes all around the globe can remove this uncertainty. Finally, a column of notes gives observer [, authority ( ), and other facts. To study the relations of reduced apparition dates, the calendar years of apparitions were plotted as abscissas, 1 yr. = 1 mm., and "1850 dates" were plotted as ordinates, 1 d. = 10 mm. The plot is reproduced, to smaller scale, in figure 1. TABLE 1 NO. O.M.T. OF MAXIMUM 1850 NOTES [OBSERVERI (AUmORroy) 1 1741 Nov. 25.44, 0. S. Nov. 27.3? St. Petersburg [Krafft]. (Quetelet; has N. S. date wrong.) Radiant? 2 1798 Dec. 7, <10 P.M. Dec. 7.7 Near Bremen? [H. W. Brandes.] 7 per min., 480 total. Radiant? 3 1818 Nov. 19.54 Nov. 19.7? Gosport, Eng. (Kaemtz, from Chladni.) "Many." Radiant? Downloaded by guest on October 6, 2021 70- ASTRONOMY: W. J. FISHER PR3c. N. A. S. TABLE 1 (Continued) NO. G.M.T. MAXIMUM 1850 NOTES (OBSSERV"R (AUTHORUTY) 4 1822 Nov. 25, <10 P.i Nov. 25.6 English Channel [Duke of Wurtem- berg]. (Gruithuisen.)". saheine bedeutende Zahl,von S. nach S.W. fallen." Probable rqdiant, 2 hrs; 20 min. +500,within 100. 5 1830 Dec. 7.54 Dec. 7.6? France [Raillard]. "Apparition extraordinaire." Radiant? 6a 1838 Dec. 6, 8.55-9.15 P.M. Dec. 6.5? Toulon [Flaugergues]. 42 in 20 min. Radiant in zenith, probably about 2 hrs. 04 min. + 430. 6b 1838 Dec. 7, 6-7 P.M. Dec. 7.4? England [T. W. Webb]. 40 in 30 mm., 1-3 observers. Radiant seems to have been somewhat southwest of zenith, say 23 hrs. + 400. 6c 1838 Dec. 7.44, "evenLing" Dec. 7.5? Parma [Colla]. "Un grande nom- bre." Radiant? (Id 1838 Dec. 7, 8- P.M. Dec. 7.7 New Haven, Conn. [Herrick]. 93 per hour. (H. A. Newton). Ra- diant about 3 hrs. 15 min. + 500. 6e 1838 Dec. 8.4d, "evening" Dec. 8.5? Brussels [Quetelet]. "Beaucoup." Radiant? 7a- 1847 Dec. 8.5 Dec. 8.3? Aachen [Heis]. 149 per hour. Ra- diant 220 + 55°. 7b 1847 Dec. 10.44 Dec. 10.2? Aachen [Heis]. 140 per hour. Ra- diant 220 + 550. 8 1850 Nov. 29A-4 Nov. 29.4 Aachen [Heis]. "Ausserordentlich viele," but only 5 in Resultate. Radiant probably 150 + 62°. 9 1867 Nov. 30.4i= Nov. 30.0 Bergamo [Zezioli]. 7 -meteors, 170 + 480. (Schiaparelli.) 10 1872 Nov. 24.6 Nov. 24.0 New Haven, Codn. [Newton]. "250 before midnight," "three- -fourths of them from Biela." "Very few morning and evening of the next day." Ila 1872 Nov. 27, 11.00-11 .35 Nov. 26.7 Mauritius (Meldrum). 1160 per hour, 2678 total, between clouds. Radiant close to o and 3 Persei. 1lb 1872 Nov. 27.4 Nov. 26.8 Europe and U. S. (A. S. Herschel, Nature, 7, 185-188, 1873). 12a 1885 Nov.26.44, "ever iing" Nov. 25.4? Bristol, Eng. [Denningl. 100 per hour, mostly Bielids. 12b 1885 Nov. 27, 8-9 P.M. Nov. 26.0 Zi-Ka-Wei, China [Marc-Dechev- rens]. 100 in 15 min. Radiant? Was not over at Nov. 28th, 4 A.M. The most easterly observation? Also observed at Mauritius, radiant about y Andromedae, and off Cape Palmas. Downloaded by guest on October 6, 2021 VOi. 12, 1926 ASTRONOMY: W. J. FISHER 731 TABLE 1 (Conduded) NO. O.K.T. MAXIMUM 1850 NOTES [oM]stvnRi (AUTIolom) 12c 1885 Nov. 27, 6.15 P.M. Nov. 26.25 Europe and England generally, Rio and Eastern U. S. (Summary by H. A. Newton, Am. Jour. Sci. (3) 319 78-79,409-426, 1886). 75,000 per hour or more. Radiant 24.54° + 44.74°, average (Oli- vier). 13 1892 Nov. 23, 11.25 P.m. Nov. 22.8 Washington (Horigan), and as far as Albuquerque. At Princeton, N. J. (C. A. Young), estimated 80-100 per min. Radiant shifted, from 1 hr. 20 min. + 40030' to 1 hr. 40 min. + 400. 14 1892 Nov. 27, 8 to 11 P.M. Nov. 26.9 Mexico, en route Torreon-New Orleans (H. A. Newton), "hope- less to count;" through railway car window. Radiant? 15 1899 Nov. 24.2 Nov. 23.6 Europe generally (DIenning), 90 per hour; Eastern U. S. (Olivier). 2-3 per min. Radiant at Prince- ton 230 + 421/40. The change of 1850 date, from apparition to apparition, is due partly to changes in the position of the X node where earth and meteors meet, partly to the fact that the 2 \ meteor stream is not single and a.\\___ homogeneous, but multiple and condensed into swarms. In the figure it is seen that the points \ . mostly lie within a slender strip' " - 0 narrowing downward to the right, or as the dates increase; and that l i--lb many of these fall by groups quite '\ 4 * __42_ accurately on straight lines con- \0 verging to a point. 13 Group (1) Apparitions (1), (3) __\_\\ determine a line which does not 3 pass through or near the conver- gence point. Group (2) Apparitions (2), (8), __,._ (13) fall quite accurately on a FIGURE 1 straight line, which passes between Relations of reduced apparition dates and the points of apparitions (10), years of apparitions.
Recommended publications
  • Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory a Autumn Observing Notes
    Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory A Autumn Observing Notes Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory PUBLIC OBSERVING – Autumn Tour of the Sky with the Naked Eye CASSIOPEIA Look for the ‘W’ 4 shape 3 Polaris URSA MINOR Notice how the constellations swing around Polaris during the night Pherkad Kochab Is Kochab orange compared 2 to Polaris? Pointers Is Dubhe Dubhe yellowish compared to Merak? 1 Merak THE PLOUGH Figure 1: Sketch of the northern sky in autumn. © Rob Peeling, CaDAS, 2007 version 1.2 Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory PUBLIC OBSERVING – Autumn North 1. On leaving the planetarium, turn around and look northwards over the roof of the building. Close to the horizon is a group of stars like the outline of a saucepan with the handle stretching to your left. This is the Plough (also called the Big Dipper) and is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The two right-hand stars are called the Pointers. Can you tell that the higher of the two, Dubhe is slightly yellowish compared to the lower, Merak? Check with binoculars. Not all stars are white. The colour shows that Dubhe is cooler than Merak in the same way that red-hot is cooler than white- hot. 2. Use the Pointers to guide you upwards to the next bright star. This is Polaris, the Pole (or North) Star. Note that it is not the brightest star in the sky, a common misconception. Below and to the left are two prominent but fainter stars. These are Kochab and Pherkad, the Guardians of the Pole. Look carefully and you will notice that Kochab is slightly orange when compared to Polaris.
    [Show full text]
  • Deep-Sky Objects - Autumn Collection an Addition To: Explore the Universe Observing Certificate Third Edition RASC NW Cons Object Mag
    Deep-Sky Objects - Autumn Collection An addition to: Explore the Universe Observing Certificate Third Edition RASC NW Cons Object Mag. PSA Observation Notes: Chart RA Dec Chart 1) Date Time 2 Equipment) 3) Notes # Observing Notes # Sgr M24 The Sagittarias Star Cloud 1. Mag 4.60 RA 18:16.5 Dec -18:50 Distance: 10.0 2. (kly)Star cloud, 95’ x 35’, Small Sagittarius star cloud 3. lies a little over 7 degrees north of teapot lid. Look for 7,8 dark Lanes! Wealth of stars. M24 has dark nebula 67 (interstellar dust – often visible in the infrared (cooler radiation)). Barnard 92 – near the edge northwest – oval in shape. Ref: Celestial Sampler Floating on Cloud 24, p.112 Sgr M18 - 1. RA 18 19.9, Dec -17.08 Distance: 4.9 (kly) 2. Lies less than 1deg above the northern edge of M24. 3 8 Often bypassed by showy neighbours, it is visible as a 67 small hazy patch. Note it's much closer (1/2 the distance) as compared to M24 (10kly) Sgr M17 (Swan Nebula) and M16 – HII region 1. Nebula and Open Clusters 2. 8 67 M17 Wikipedia 3. Ref: Celestial Sampler p. 113 Sct M11 Wild Duck Cluster 5.80 1. 18:51.1 -06:16 Distance: 6.0 (kly) 2. Open cluster, 13’, You can find the “wild duck” cluster, 3. as Admiral Smyth called it, nearly three degrees west of 67 8 Aquila’s beak lying in one of the densest parts of the summer Milky Way: the Scutum Star Cloud. 9 64 10 Vul M27 Dumbbell Nebula 1.
    [Show full text]
  • B Persei, a Fundamental Star Among the Radiostars
    242 B PERSEI, A FUNDAMENTAL STAR AMONG THE RADIOSTARS Suzanne DEBARBAT Observatoire de Paris, DANOF/URA 1125 61 avenue de 1'Observatoire 75014 Paris ABSTRACT. Optical fluctuations of the radiostar (3 Persei are seen from 13 campaigns performed with the astrolabe located at the Paris Observatory. 1. INTRODUCTION Among the radiostars, fSPersei (Algol) - a fundamental star - was chosen by radioastronomers as a zero reference for right ascensions in radioastrometry. Since 1975 this fundamental star has been included in the observing programme performed by the "Astrolabe et systemes de re"fdrence" group in charge of the instrument at the Paris Observatory. The eight first campaigns published have been presented at the IAU Colloquium n° 100 (Belgrade 1987). The average of the mean square errors given were 0.004s in right ascension and 0.13" in declination, according to the FK4 and the constants in use at that time. 2. DETERMINATIONS AND ERRORS There are now thirteen campaigns available from 1975/76 to 1987/88 and they have been reduced in the FK5 system with the new fundamental constants according to the formulas established by Chollet (1984). Due to the fact that the group and the internal smoothing corrections (according to De"barbat et Guinot, 1970) are not yet available in the case of the FK5, the reduction have been performed for both FK4 and FK5. As an example of residuals, for the zenith distance, to which accuracy this quantity is obtainable when 12 transits (at east and at west) are observed, Table I gives the values for the 1983/1984 campaign (J 2000, FK4 and FK5).
    [Show full text]
  • 1903Aj 23 . . . 22K 22 the Asteojsomic Al
    22 THE ASTEOJSOMIC AL JOUENAL. Nos- 531-532 22K . Taking into account the smallness of the weights in- concerned. Through the use of these tables the positions . volved, the individual differences which make up the and motions of many stars not included in the present 23 groups in the preceding table agree^very well. catalogue can be brought into systematic harmony with it, and apparently without materially less accuracy for the in- dividual stars than could be reached by special compu- Tables of Systematic Correction for N2 and A. tations for these stars in conformity with the system of B. 1903AJ The results of the foregoing comparisons. have been This is especially true of the star-places computed by utilized to form tables of systematic corrections for ISr2, An, Dr. Auwers in the catalogues, Ai and As. As will be seen Ai and As. In right-ascension no distinction is necessary by reference to the catalogue the positions and motions of between the various catalogues published by Dr. Auwers, south polar stars taken from N2 agree better with the beginning with the Fundamental-G at alo g ; but in decli- results of this investigation than do those taken from As, nation the distinction between the northern, intermediate, which, in turn, are quoted from the Cape Catalogue for and southern catalogues must be preserved, so far as is 1890. SYSTEMATIC COBEECTIOEB : CEDEE OF DECLINATIONS. Eight-Ascensions ; Cokrections, ¿las and 100z//xtf. Declinations; Corrections, Æs and IOOzZ/x^. B — ISa B —A B —N2 B —An B —Ai âas 100 â[is âas 100 âgô âSs 100
    [Show full text]
  • DAKW 46 2 0317-0349.Pdf
    ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften.Math.Natw.Kl. Frueher: Denkschr.der Kaiserlichen Akad. der Wissenschaften. Fortgesetzt: Denkschr.oest.Akad.Wiss.Mathem.Naturw.Klasse. Jahr/Year: 1883 Band/Volume: 46_2 Autor(en)/Author(s): Herz Norbert, Strobl Josef Artikel/Article: Reduction des AuwersŽschen Fundamental-Cataloges auf die Le VerrierŽschen Praecessionscoefficienten. 317-349 317 REDUCTION DES AITWERS'SCHEN FUNDAMENTAL-CATALOGES AUF DIE LE-VERRIER'SOMEN PEAEGESSIONSCOEFFICIENTEN. D,!- NORBERT HE HZ UND JOSEF STROBE. VORGBr,EGT IN DER SITZUNG DER MATIIKMATISOH-NATURWrSSKNSCHAFTliICHBN CLASSE AM 16. NOVEMBER 1882. l/er in den „Publicationen der Astronom ischen Gesellschaft XIV" gegebene „Fundamental- Catalog fiiv die Zouenbeobachtungen am nordlichen Himmel", welcher die Positionen und Reductionsgrossen von 539 Sternen fiir das mittlere Aquinoetium 1875-0 enthalt, nebst der in der „Viertel- ja brsschrift der Astronomischen Gesellschaft XV" enthaltenen Fortsetzung fiir 83 sttdliche Sterne ist durch die Beniitzung der zablreichen Beobachtungen, die an verschiedenen Sternwarten gemacht warden, thatsachlich zu einem Fundamente fur die Fixsternbestimmung geworden, indem es einen bohen Grad der Wahrscheinlichkeit hat, dass die constanten Fehler, welche der Beobachtungsreihe einer Sternwarte ange- boren, mdglichst eliminirt sind; denn die constanten Differenzen, die sich aus den, in den verschiedenen Fix- sternverzeichnissen niedergelegtcn Beobaclitungen eines einzigen Beobacbtungsortes finden, haben bei Ableitung der walirseheinlichsten Positionen strenge Beriicksichtigung geiimden. Fiir die Berechnung der Reductionselemente auf das mittlere Aquinoctium einer anderen Epoche ist die Struve'sche Praecessionsconstante angewendet und demgemass die Eigenbewegung bestimmt worden. In den jetzt allgemein angewandten L e-Terrier'schen Sonnentafeln ist aber eine andere, dem Wesen nach mit der Bessel'scben identiscbe verwendet.
    [Show full text]
  • B O L E T I N Asociacion a R G En T in a a S T R O N O M
    ISSN 0671-328» BOLETIN DE LA ASOCIACION ARGENTINA DE ASTRONOMIA N.*18 * LA PLATA 1980 Con motivo de cumplirse en 1973 medio milenio del nacimiento de Nicolás Copérnico este Boletín 18 de la Asociación Argentina de Astronomía está dedicado a la memoria del huma­ nista fundador de la astronomía moderna , BOLETIN DE LA ;■ ASOCIACION ARGENTINA DE ASTRONOMIA N.*18 LA PLATA 1980 ASOCIACION ARGENTINA DE ASTRONOMIA La Comisión Directiva lamenta comunicar el deceso del Dr. Carlos J. Lavagnino acaecida el 12 de noviembre de 1976 luego de una dolorosa enfermedad. El Dr. Lavagnino manifestó siempre un profundo inte­ rés por las actividades de esta Asociación, que lo contara entre sus más antiguos socios. Esa inclinación lo llevó a ser editor de nuestro Boletín en varias ocasiones, ya que consi­ deraba que defender y mejorar este Boletín —o su muy año­ rada revista— era, desde su profesión, una de las formas de lograr un beneficio para todos sus colegas que así pueden tener a su alcance un medio natural, seguro y de jerarquía para la publicación de sus trabajos. Si bien la adversidad lo acosó con insistencia en sus últimos tiempos, sobrepuso su entereza e iluminó con tra­ bajo tan oscuros momentos. Así fue como corrigió esta edi­ ción en su última prueba dos días antes de su deceso y así fue como él mismo honró su memoria. LA COMISION DIRECTIVA Dr. C. J. Lavagnino La ejecución del presente Boletín se ha visto conside­ rablemente demorada por múltiples razones, entre ellas la prolongada enfermedad y lamentable deceso de su editor el Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theosophical Path
    THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH KATHERINE TINGLEYt EDITOR VOL. XXXII, NO. 3 MARCH 1927 "IT is another's fault if he be ungrateful; but it is mine if I do not give. To find one thankful man I will oblige many who are not."- SENECA THE LAST SONG OF THE SWAN H. P. BLAVATSKY [Reprinted from Lucifer, Vol. V, No. 30, February 1890] "I see before my race an age or so, And I am sent to show a path among the thorns, To take them in my flesh. Well, I shall lay my bones In some sharp crevice of the broken way; Men shall in better times stand where I fell, And singing, journey on in perfect bands Where I had trod alone. " - THEODORE pARKER ���HENCE the poetical but very fantastic notion - even in .... f;'.j a myth - about swans singing their own funeral dirges? /..-•�·-� There is a Northern legend to that effect, but it is not older ..---a,..._-9,.. than the middle ages. Most of us have studied ornithology; and in our own days of youth we have made ample acquaintance with swans of every description. In those trustful years of everlasting sun­ light, there existed a mysterious- attraction between our mischievous hand and the snowy feathers of the stubby tail of that graceful but harsh­ voiced King of aquatic birds. The hand that offered treacherously bis­ cuits, while the other pulled out a feather or two, was often punished; but so were the ears. Few noises can compare in cacophony with the cry of that bird - whether it be the 'whistling ' (Cygnus americanus) or the 'trumpeter ' swan.
    [Show full text]
  • Edward Charles Pickering 1846-1919
    NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Or THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS VOLUME XV FIFTH MEMOIR BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF EDWARD CHARLES PICKERING 1846-1919 BY SOLON I. BAILEY PRESENTED TO THE ACADEMY AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, 193 z EDWARD CHARLES PICKERING BY SOLON I. BAILEY1 Edward Charles Pickering was born on Beacon Hill, Boston, July 19, 1846. He died at Cambridge on February 3, 1919. At the time of his death the Observatory was less than eighty years old, and he had been Director forty-two years, a period consider- ably longer than the combined terms of his three predecessors. Mr. Pickering was fortunate in his heritage. Of a family always prominent in New England history, he was heir neither to riches nor to poverty, but to splendid opportunity, which he eagerly grasped. From early youth to old age, his zeal in the pursuit of scientific problems was unbounded. His education was begun in private schools, but later carried forward at the Boston Latin School. He had small love of the classics and gave them scant attention. In the Lawrence Scientific School, however, he entered upon his work with that enthusiasm which marked all the activities of his mature life. He was graduated from this school summa cum laude at the age of nineteen, and was immediately appointed Instructor of Mathematics in that institution. A year later he became Assistant in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in the following year Thayer Professor of Physics, a position which he held until he became Director of the Observatory. During his ten years at the Institute, the history of his work is the history of the Department of Physics.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of ,Work for the General Section
    DEC. 1910.] OUTLINE OF WORK FOR THE GENERAL SEC. 11 The constellation Sa.gitta is to be found on A. S. I. Chart VI, but the star S (10) is not marked, its position on that ohart would be about 2 mm. to the left of the G in the word Sagitta., and 3 mm. below the e in 'neb.' There is a oonve­ nient comparison star (ll) close to it, a little to the north and preceding-magnitude 5'3. These stars will be rather difficult to pick up with the naked eye, but will be easily seen with a binocular. For 0 and p.. Cephei, see A. S. 1. Chart I. Comparison stars. ~ Cephei magnitude, 3'5 19" " 5'2 Algol (/3 Persei) is also to be found on plate I. Comparison stars. a Persei magnitude 1'9 3'0 y " " 4'0 ,. " Outline of ,Work for the General Section. By THE DIRECTOR OF THE SECTION. It is suggested that an excellent object for observation by members of the General Section is the Sun. Persons living in India are naturally very favourably placed for making such observations; moreover, the size and compara tive nearness of the Sun make it possible for good work to be done even by those who are indifferently equipped as rega.rds instruments. For the sa.ke of definiteness, I shall describe briefly a line of investigation along which members of the Society might with some a.dvantage direct their attention, and which is likely to yield valuable data. Spots on the Sun's surface have always been a.
    [Show full text]
  • Fort Worth Astronomical Society December 2010 Club Calendar – 2
    : Fort Worth Astronomical Society December 2010 Established 1949 Astronomical League Member Club Calendar – 2 “Winter Solstice” Dinner – 3 Skyportunities – 4 A Man on the Moon – 5 The Season for Giving - 6 Perseus – 7 Stargazers’ Diary – 9 1 Coconut Joe by Trista Oppermann December 2010 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 . Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for December: M34, M45, Mel15, Mel20, NGC 869, NGC 884, NGC 1027, NGC 1232, St2, St23 Top ten deep-sky objects for December: M34, M45, M77, NGC 869, NGC 884, NGC 891, NGC 1023, NGC 1232, NGC 1332, NGC 1360 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 New Moon 11:36 am Will you get: The Rocking Will you get: Reindeer? The Orange Telescope? 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 RASC First Qtr Moon Observers 7:59 am Will you get: Will you get: Handbooks will be available at Geminid A Major the December meteors peak Award? Meeting at Mercardo Juarez, Moon sets to those that 1:04 am Coconut It’s fraGEEly! signed up for Tuesday it must be them, Joe? Italian! $20 / copy. 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Total Solstice Lunar Eclipse 5:38 pm Begins @ 11:30 pm Full Moon @ 2:38 am on 21st FWAS Dinner 26 27 28 29 30 31 Last Qtr Moon 7:46 am Challenge deep-sky object for December: vdB14 (Camelopardalis) Challenge binary star for December: 48 Cassiopeiae (Cassiopeia) Notable carbon star for December: U Camelopardalis Notable variable star for December: Omicron Ceti (Mira) 2 FWAS Winter Solstice Dinner Location: Mercado Juarez Restaurant FWAS Annual Banquet Tuesday, 12/21/2010; 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM Mercado Juarez Restaurant, 1651 East Northside Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76106 Fort Worth Astronomical Society's annual dinner banquet will be held at Mercado Juarez Restaurant in Fort Worth this year.
    [Show full text]
  • Constellations by Season
    Observer Constellations 1 Volume 8 Issue 6 April 2019 Hidden Gems of the Night sky Learn how to spot any constellation with the naked eye and find what’s written in the stars... Long before the creation of the modern-day calendar, humans used constellations to remember the stars’ positions as a way to tell time recognizing that certain constellations appeared during different times of the year. Farmers, especially, found these patterns useful because they knew when to harvest crops and when to plant them based on which constellations they saw for that season. Navigators, on the other hand, could always figure their latitude just by looking at how high the North Star, Polaris, appeared in the sky. While remembering constellations had its practical uses, people from all cultures enjoyed observing constellations and naming them based on mythological deities, animals, and objects. From there on, they would use constellations to tell stories about them with each culture offering a unique interpretation for each constellation. Today, astronomers have used constellations to divide the night sky which allows them to classify each star according to the constellation it belongs to. As you can see, people don’t need equipment to see constellations when in fact, they can stargaze just like their ancestors, and it’s not that difficult to get started. With that said, here is a comprehensive beginner’s guide on stargazing and navigating the night sky for constellations. By Abigail Tarun Design Manager Image from Pinterest by Anime Candy Continued… 2 of 11 All Background Images from Pinterest Observer Constellations 2 Volume 8 Issue 6 April 2019 Constellations by Before you go on a stargazing adventure, it’s crucial that you Season know when the stars are most visible at night.
    [Show full text]
  • Glossary of Navigation
    BEQUEST OF REV. CANON SDADDMG, D. TORONTO. 1*01 GLOSSAEY OF NAVIGATION GLOSSARY OF NAVIGATION BY THE REV. J. B. HARBORD, M.A. ST JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE CHAPLAIN AND NAVAL INSTRUCTOR, R. N. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXIII SOLD BY J. D. POTTER, ADMIRALTY CHART AGENT, LONDON PREFACE. IN offering this little book to our young naval officers, the author is guided by a wish to help them in what he knows by experience they consider the most troublesome part of their studies. He would give this help by teaching them to regard scientific and technical terms not as necessary evils, but as very useful ser- vants, by the rational use of which a definiteness of conception may be acquired not otherwise attainable. It is also his hope in some small measure to aid in banishing a prevailing looseness of phraseology, and in bringing about a consistency of usage in nautical terms. Under each term, besides what is necessary to explain it fully in its different bearings, will be found an analysis of what is to be learned on the subject by systematic reading. In the arrange- ment of the articles the strictly alphabetical order has sometimes been departed from as regards the subdivisions of a general head, and what appears in each case the natural order adopted. Most of the works on Navigation in common use have been consulted in this but the author drawing up Glossary ; must par- ' ticularly mention his obligations to Lieutenant Eaper's Practice of Navigation.' In the articles belonging to the most important ancillary science he is deeply indebted to Sir John F.
    [Show full text]