Other Worlds: Their Nature, Possibilities and Habitability in the Light of the Latest DiscoveriesServiss, Garrett Putman
Science
Other Worlds: Their Nature, Possibilities and Habitability in the Light of the Latest Discoveries
Serviss, Garrett Putman
Astronomy; Planets
The reader will readily perceive that, in a precisely similar manner,
any planet can be located, at any time of the year, and at any point in
its course about the heavens. But it may turn out that the place
occupied by the planet is too near the sun to render it easily, or at
all, visible. Such a case can be recognized, either from a general
knowledge of the location of the constellations at various seasons, or
with the aid of the Nautical Almanac, where at the beginning of each set
of monthly tables in the calendar the sun's right ascension and
declination will be found. In locating the sun, if you find that its
right ascension differs by less than an hour, one way or the other, from
that of the planet sought, it is useless to look for the latter. If the
planet is situated west of the sun--to the right on the chart--then it
is to be looked for in the east before sunrise. But if it is east of the
sun--to the left on the chart--then you must seek it in the west after
sunset.
For instance, I look for the planet Mercury on October 12, 1901. I find
its R.A. to be 14 h. 40 m. and its Dec. 18 deg. 36 min. Looking at the
sun's place for October 12th, I find it to be R.A. 13 h. 8 m. and Dec.
7 deg. 14 min. Placing them both on Chart No. 4, I discover that Mercury
is well to the east, or left hand of the sun, and will consequently be
visible in the western sky after sundown.
Additional guidance will be found by noting the following facts about
the charts:
The meridian (the north and south line) runs through the middle of Chart
No. 1 between 11 and 12 o'clock P.M. on November 1st, between 9 and 10
o'clock P.M. on December 1st, and between 7 and 8 o'clock P.M. on
January 1st.
The meridian runs through the middle of Chart No. 2 between 11 and 12
o'clock P.M. on January 1st, between 9 and 10 o'clock P.M. on February
1st, and between 7 and 8 o'clock P.M. on March 1st.
The meridian runs through the middle of Chart No. 3 between 11 and 12
o'clock P.M. on March 1st, between 9 and 10 o'clock P.M. on April 1st,
and between 7 and 8 o'clock P.M. on May 1st.
The meridian runs through the middle of Chart No. 4 between 11 and 12
o'clock P.M. on May 1st, between 9 and 10 o'clock P.M. on June 1st, and
between 7 and 8 o'clock P.M. on July 1st.
The meridian runs through the middle of Chart No. 5 between 11 and 12
o'clock P.M. on July 1st, between 9 and 10 o'clock P.M. on August 1st,
and between 7 and 8 o'clock P.M. on September 1st.
The meridian runs through the middle of Chart No. 6 between 11 and 12
o'clock P.M. on September 1st, between 9 and 10 o'clock P.M. on October
1st, and between 7 and 8 o'clock P.M. on November 1st.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account