Astronomical Calculations for the Year of our Lord, 1854. Being the 78th year of the Independence of the United States, and the second after Leap Year, by SAMUEL H. WRIGHT, Dundee, Yates County, New York. Eclipses in the Year 1854. This year there will be two Eclipses of the Sun, and two Eclipses of the Moon. I. A partial Eclipse of the Moon, May 12, in the morning. the southern limb. Invisible on this continent. Magnitude, 2.87 digits on II. An annular Eclipse of the Sun, Friday, May 26, in the afternoon. Visible principally as a very large partial Eclipse on the Sun's northern limb, throughout North America, except along the Isthmus of Darien, as in the following table: H H M H MH M Digits. 4 10 5 26 6 33 2 23 11.10 4 435 56 6 59 2 16 10.75 3 53 5 10 6 20 2 27 11.07 3 24 265 41 2 39 10.25 3 47 5 5 6 16 2 29 10.86 4 13 5 29 6 36 2 23 11.23 2 48 4 13 5 29 2 41 9.81 3 26 4 47 6 02 34 10.27 4 27 5 416 46 2 1911.36 3 34 26 5 412 38 9.85 2 40 4 65 24 2 44 9.54 4 15 5 30 6 37 2 22 10.70 3 4515 36 14 2 29 10.02 4 15 17 6 272 26 10.21 End, MH MH M Digits. 5 2 41 3 17 10.08 San Francisco* 11 27 1 12 2 503 23 7.92 4 25 186 26 2 24 9.30 3 16 4 36 5 49 2 33 8.04 3 58 5 13 6 23 2 25 8.77 7.22 7.60 7.73 7.10 7.49 7.73 3 34 225 35 2 32 6.63 Savannah Natchez 3 525 66 14 2 22 7.43 6.28 NOTE. As a solar Eclipse of the magnitude of this rarely occurs, it may be interesting to give it a particular notice. During this Eclipse the apparent diameter of the Moon will be a little less than that of the Sun, and therefore the Sun cannot in any place be entirely or totally eclipsed. This circumstance also will cause a bright ring of light to be formed around the darkened parts of the Sun. This ring will be only about one-third of a digit wide, and will be visible only in the vicinity where the line of central eclipse passes. The eclipse is central in longitude 73° 53' west of Greenwich, latitude 44° 14' north; and in longitude 64° 35' west, latitude 41° 10' north. By finding these positions upon a map, and drawing a line from one to the other, the towns and countries through which the central eclipse passes will be readily discovered. The path of the annular eclipse will be about 100 miles wide, and extend about 50 miles each side the line we have described. The annular eclipse will move about 100 miles per minute, and will pass through the eastern part of Upper Canada, through the counties of St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, and Essex, and through the northern part of Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, Wayne, and Washington, in New York. It will be seen in nearly all of Vermont and New Hampshire; in the north-east corner of Massachusetts, and south-western part of Maine. It will be annular at Kingston, U. C., at Whitehall, Plattsburg, Portland, and within ten or twelve miles north-east of Boston. The line of central and annular eclipse begins at sunrise in the Pacific Ocean near the Caroline Islands, long. 162° 51′ east, lat. 6° 43′ north, and passes north-easterly near the Sandwich Islands, then enters the United States a little north of Astoria in Oregon, and then travelling nearly easterly, passes through Lake Superior; now turning south-easterly, passes south of Bytown in Canada, and thence through the counties we have named, to the Atlantic Ocean in York county, Me., 51 miles north of Portsmouth, N. H. It ends at sunset, in long. 51° 53' west, lat. 36° 18' north. The partial eclipse first touches the earth at sunrise in lon. 176° 35' west, lat. 1° 22' south; and ends at sunset north-east of the Bahama Islands, in long. 73° 41' west, lat. 28° 29' north. The first time this eclipse ever occurred was in 1313, July 2d; since then it has returned 31 times, including its return this year. It occurred in April, 1800, in May, 1818, and in May, 1836. It will return again in June, 1872. Its last return will be in the year 2593, August 17th. The next solar eclipse that will attract much attention in this country, will be in 1858, March 15th. III. There will be a very small partial Eclipse of the Moon, Saturday, Nov. 4, in the evening. Visible partly in the eastern section of the New England states. Greatest magnitude 0.64 of a digit. The moon will rise eclipsed at the following places: At Eastport, the Moon will rise at the time of greatest eclipse. At New York, the eclipse will end 9 minutes before the moon rises. This eclipse may be seen when the Moon rises in all that part of New England east of the Meridian of Lowell, Massachusetts. IV. There will be a total Eclipse of the Sun on the 20th of November, invisible in North America. This eclipse is confined mostly to the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. At the Cape of Good Hope it will be 6.97 digits in size. Rising and Setting of the Planets. It should be observed that these are not sensibly affected by the longitude of a place. When the hour is less than 6, it is in the evening; when greater than 6, it is in the morning. To ascertain when any Star found in this table will be on the meridian, add the numbers opposite in the left hand column of figures to the preceding meridian transit of the Pole Star found in the Calendar pages. For the RISING of a STAR, subtract the number opposite in the right hand column of figures from its meridian passage, found as directed above. For the SETTING of a STAR, add the same number to its meridian passage. Those marked .....) revolve in a circle of perpetual apparition, and do not rise or set north of the latiude of New York City, for which the semi-diurnal arcs are calculated. It must be remembered that the civil day begins at the preceding midnight, and consequently 24 hours after midnight, or 12 hours from noon is morning of the succeeding day; and 24 hours to 36 hours from noon is evening of the next day. This table is arranged in the order of culmination. NOTE. The column of "Pole Star in Meridian" is designed to be of material service to Surveyors, who by this can refer a Theodolite or Compass to the true meridian, provided they have correct time pieces, and those may be regulated by using a noon-mark or meridian line in connection with the column marked "Shadow at the Noon-Mark." When the Pole Star passes the upper meridian in the daytime, its lower passage can be found by adding 11 hours 58 minutes, and 2.045 seconds to the time of its preceding upper passage. Morning Stars, 1854. Mercury () until Feb. 8, from March 28 to | Mars (3) until Feb. 26. May 28; from July 30 to Sept. 12; and Jupiter (2) until July 15. from Nov 19 to Jan. 20, 1855. Venus (Q) from Feb. 28 to Dec. 13. Saturn (h) from May 26 to Dec. 4. Evening Stars, 1854. Mercury () from Feb. 8 to March 26; from | Mars () from Feb. 26 to April 9, 1855. May 28 to July 30; and from Sept. 12th to Venus (Q) until Feb. 28; and from Dec. 13 Sun: Jupiter (4) from July 15 to Jan. 29, 1855. Characters. Moon; Mercury; Q Venus; H Uranus; same longitude, or near each other; Earth; Mars; 2. Jupiter; h Saturn; 90° apart; Popposition, or 180° apart. Signs of the Zodiac. Aries; Taurus; Gemini; Cancer; Leo; m Virgo; Libra; M Scorpio; ↑ Sagittarius; V Capricorn; Aquarius; Pisces. Aspects and Nodes. Trine, 120 degrees Ascending Node; & Descend Conjunction; Sextile 60 degrees; Quartile, 90 degrees; Vc. Quincunx, 150 degrees; & Opposition, 180 degrees; ing Node. N. B.-Persons who work out the Problems in this Almanac, and who send Solutions, post-paid, to the Calculator, will have the same duly acknowledged in the Almanac for 1855. Notes to the Reader. The Calendar page in this Almanac is adapted for use in every part of the United States, north of the latitude of Washington. It is based on the fact, that in the same Latitude, that is, on a line running due east and west, the Sun and Moon rise and set at the same moment by the clock or almanac, not only throughout the United States, but around the world-the variations being so small as to be of no importance for ordinary purposes. Thus, if on any day the sun rises at Boston at 5 minutes past 6, it rises at 5 minutes past 6. on the same line of latitude westward throughout the states of Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Iowa, and the territory of Oregon. Hence, a Calendar adapted to Boston for New England, is equally adapted, as to the rising and setting of the Sun and Moon, for use in Northern New York and Michigan; a Calendar for New York city is adapted for use in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois; and a Calendar for Washington city is adapted for Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri. The changes, fulls, and quarters of the Moon, however, are governed by another principle, and are essentially the same for all places on the same Longitude; that is, on any fine extending due north and south. Thus, the Moon's phases for Charleston, suit Pittsburgh, etc. Any phasis takes place at the same instant of absolute time; but the local time is earlier at the westward, and later at the eastward, at the rate of four minutes for each degree of Longitude; or at the rate of one minute for every 12 miles 273 rods in the latitude of Boston, 13 miles 60 rods in the latitude of New York City, 13 miles 143 rods in the latitude of Baltimore, and 14 miles 199 rods in the latitude of Charleston. True Time. Two kinds of time are used in Almanacs; clock or mean-time, in some, and apparent or sun-time in others. Clock-time is always right, while sun-time varies every day. People generally suppose it is twelve o'clock when the sun is due south, or at a properly made noon-mark. But this is a mistake. The sun is seldom on the meridian at twelve o'clock; indeed this is the case only on four days of the year: namely, April 15, June 15, September 1, and December 24. In this Almanac, as in the Nautical and other best Almanacs, the time used is clock-time. The time when the sun is on the meridian or at the noonmark, is also given to the nearest second, for every day of each month. This affords a ready means of obtaining correct time and for setting a clock by using a noon-mark. Old-fashioned Almanacs, which use apparent time, give the rising and setting of the sun's centre, and make no allowance for the effect of refraction of the sun's rays by the atmos phere. The more modern and improved Almanacs, which use clock-time, give the rising and setting of the sun's upper limb, and duly allows for refraction. Chronological View of the Year 1854. The year of the Vulgar or Christian era, 1854, corresponds with the 1858th from the Birth of Christ; with the latter part of the 78th, and beginning of 79th of the Independ ence of the United States of America, which was declared Thursday, July 4, 1776; with the close of the 1223d of the Persian Era, which began Tuesday, June 19, N. S. 632 A. D., (the years of this era begin now on the 29th of August;) with the latter part of the 1270th of the Hegira, or Mohammedan Era; with the 1302d of the Armenian Ecclesiasti cal year; with the 1570th of the Era of Diocletion, or Era of Martyrs; with the 1892d of the Era of the Cæsars, or Spanish Era; with the 1899th of the Julian Era, or since the reformation of the calendar of Numa Pompilius, by Julius Cæsar; with the 2166th of the Grecian Era of the Seleucide; with the 2603d of the Babylonish Era of Nabonassar. used by Hipparchus and Ptolemy, [this Era dates from Wednesday, February 18th, N. S., 747, B. C., according to Chronologers, or 746, B. C., according to Astronomers. The year contained 365 days only, and have, consequently, now advanced upon the Gregorian year 628 days. The 2603d year begins May 30, 1854 ;] with the 2607th (according to Varro) of the old Roman Era, A. U. C.; 2630th of the Olympiads, or the latter part of the 1st year, and beginning of the 2d of the 658th Olympiad of 4 years; with the 3869th of the Era of Abraham, used by Eusebius; with the 4202d from the Deluge, according to Usher and the English Bible; with the 4956th of the Cali Yuga, or Hindoo and Indian Era, which dates from the Deluge; with the 425 1st of the Chinese, or the 21st of the 71st cycle; with the 5614th of the CREATION OF THE WORLD, according to the Minor Era of the Jews, or the 6213th, according to the Greater Rabbinical Era of the Jews; with the 6082d, according to Eusebius; with the 5798th, according to Sealliger; with the 5858th, according to Usher and the English Bible; with the 7346th, acccording to the Antiochian and Abyssinian Eras; with the 7356th, according to the Alexandrian Era; with the 7362d, according to the Era of Constantinople, used by the Byzantine historians. The age of the World is involved in great obscurity. There is about one hundred and forty different eras respecting it, some claiming the world to be more than three millians of years old. Julius Africanus, following the Septuagint version of the Bible, which is the most reliable authority for chronology that is known, makes the Creation to have taken place on the 1st of the Jew ish month, Tisri, 5508 years, B. C., or 7362 years ago. To ascertain the length of the Day and Night. At any time of the year, add 12 hours to the time of the Sun's setting, and from the sums subtract the time of rising, for the length of the day. Subsract the time of setting from 12 hours, and to the remainder add the time of rising next morning, for the length of the night. These rules are equally true for apparent time. Leap Year. Leap-years are those that are exactly divisible by 4, and also by 400, and not by 100. The year 1900 therefore will not be a leap-year. The Moon. Every object on the surface of the moon of the height of one hundred feet, is distinctly seen through Lord Rosse's telescope. On its surface are craters of extinct volcanoes, rocks, and masses of stone almost innumerable. But there are no signs of habitations such as ours, no vestige of architectural remains, to show that the Moon is or ever was inhabited by a race of mortals similar to ourselves. No water is visible, no sea, no river; all seems desolate. |