A Text-Book of AstronomyComstock, George C. (George Cary)
Science
A Text-Book of Astronomy
Comstock, George C. (George Cary)
Astronomy
The distance of Jupiter or Saturn from the earth at any time may be
readily obtained from the figure. Thus, by direct measurement with the
millimeter scale we find for January 1, 1900, the distance of Jupiter
from the earth is 6.1 times the distance of the sun from the earth, and
this may be turned into miles by multiplying it by 93,000,000, which is
approximately the distance of the sun from the earth. For most purposes
it is quite as well to dispense with this multiplication and call the
distance 6.1 astronomical units, remembering that the astronomical unit
is the distance of the sun from the earth.
EXERCISE 16.--What is Jupiter's distance from the earth at its nearest
approach? What is the greatest distance it ever attains? Is Jupiter's
least distance from the earth greater or less than its least distance
from Saturn?
On what day in the year 1906 will the earth be on line between Jupiter
and the sun? On this day Jupiter is said to be in _opposition_--i. e.,
the planet and the sun are on opposite sides of the earth, and Jupiter
then comes to the meridian of any and every place at midnight. When the
sun is between the earth and Jupiter (at what date in 1906?) the planet
is said to be in _conjunction_ with the sun, and of course passes the
meridian with the sun at noon. Can you determine from the figure the
time at which Jupiter comes to the meridian at other dates than
opposition and conjunction? Can you determine when it is visible in the
evening hours? Tell from the figure what constellation is on the
meridian at midnight on January 1st. Will it be the same constellation
in every year?
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