The calculations in each of the geographical divisions of each calendar page will apply with sufficient accuracy to all places in the contiguous North American zones Indicated by the headings of the divisions. This statement is based on the fact that in the same latitude, or in the same line running due east and west, the Sun and Moon rise and set at almost the same moment of local or mean time, the difference in extremes being so slight as to be of no importance for ordinary purposes, except In the case of the Moon's rising, southing and setting, when 6m. for Pacific Coast points and 3m. for Mississippi River Valley region, including Chicago, etc., must be added, or 2m, for each hour of longitude. The heavy dotted lines show the arbitrary divisions of time in the United States. The plus and minus marks on either side of the meridian lines show whether it is necessary to add to or subtract from the standard time of points east or west of these lines to arrive at actual, or mean local, time. See table on page 4. Standard Time. For the convenience of the railroads and business in general a standard of time was established by mutual agreement in 1883, and it is by this method of calculation that trains are now run and local time is regulated. In accordance with this system the United States extending from 65° to 125 west longitude is divided into four time sections, as shown on the map. Inside of each of these sections standard time is uniform, and the time of each section differs from that next to it by exactly one hour. If the standard time correction for any place not enumerated in the table be desired proceed as follows: Locate the place, as any one can approximately on this map, and then subdivide the hour space in which the place is until the distance in time (60m, one space) from that meridian within whose bounds the place is located is apparent. Then add or subtract the result to mean time as the sign at the top of the map indicates. Example: What will be the standard time of sunrise July 1 at Penn Yan, N. Y.? The map does not give the lines of latitude and longitude, but most people can locate their own place in its respective State on the map with sufficient correctness. By this means I locate Penn Yan at about one-eighth of the distance between the 75th and 90th meridians and within the Eastern time zone. This will give 8m. to be added, or 4.34. ERAS OF TIME. The Gregorian year 1910 corresponds to the following eras: From July 4 the 135th year of the independence of the United States. The year A. M. 8019 of the Greek Church, beginning January 14 (0. S.). The year 4607 (nearly) of the Chinese era, beginning February 10. The year 5670-'71 (nearly) of the Jewish era, beginning Thursday, October 4, or at sunset October 3. The year 2570 (nearly) of the Japanese era, beginning February 10. The year 6623 of the Julian Period. The year 2222 of the Grecian era, CHRONOLOGICAL CYCLES. B Roman Indiction.... 19 Julian Period.. 11 ...... Dionysian Period.. 6623 238 Epact (Moon's age, Jan. 1). Lunar Cycle (Golden Number). Solar Cycle.... EXPLANATORY NOTE.-The DOMINICAL Letter or letters (two for Leap Years), or Sunday Letters, indicates the day of the year on which the first Sunday occurs, the first seven letters of the alphabet being used. Thus for 1910 the Dominical Letter is B, the second letter of the alphabet, and hence the second day of the year will be the first Sunday of the year. In Leap Years two letters are used, the first being for January and February and the latter, being the preceding letter, answers for the last ten months in order to maintain the cycle. The GOLDEN NUMBER is that number of a cycle of 19 years, which shows how many years have passed since New Moon fell on January 1, for in nearly 19 years the Solar and Lunar years nearly come together. The chief use of this cycle is in fixing the date of Easter, and in this same connection is used the EPACT. The SOLAR CYCLE is the number of years that have elapsed since the days of the week fell on the same days of the year, or when there will be, therefore, a recurrence of the Dominical or Sunday Letter. This would be the case every seven years but for Leap Year; hence, four times seven is the cycle, or 28 years. It is the remainder found by adding 9 to the year and dividing the sum by 28. The ROMAN INDICTION is a cycle of 15 years and is of no utility except to chronologers. It is the remainder found by adding 3 to the year and dividing by 15. THE JULIAN PERIOD is a cycle of 7980 years, and is the product of the three cycles-Golden Number (19), Solar Cycle (28) and Roman Indiction (15) and hence shows the time when these three cycles will coincide, or begin at the same time. The first of this cycle will be completed in the year 2267. It is the year +4713. The DIONYSIAN Period is a cycle of 532 years, and is also called the Great Paschal Cycle, being the product of a complete Solar and Lunar Cycle (28x19). It is the remainder found by adding 457 to the year and dividing by 532, and with the Julian Period is chiefly used by chronologers. The JEWISH LUNAR CYCLE is always three less than the Golden Number, and is used by the Jews in fixing the time of their festivals. The rule for computing the Dominical Letter for any year is somewhat complicated and for that reason is omitted here. CHURCH DAYS, FIXED AND MOVABLE FEASTS. New Year's Day.. Septuagesima Sunday ...Jan. 23 Corpus Christi.. 8 Jan. 1 Whitsunday (Pentecost). ..Jan. 25 St. Barnabas. ..June 11 Sexagesima Sunday. Purification B. V. M. ..Jan. 30 St. John the Baptist. ..June 24 .Feb. 2 Sts. Peter and Paul. .June 29 Easter Sunday. St. George.. Quinquagesima Sunday. Shrove Tuesday.. Ash Wednesday (Lent begins). Quadragesima Sunday. St. Valentine... St. Mathias.. Mid-Lent Sunday. St. Patrick's Day. Palm Sunday. Lady Day. Good Friday. Low Sunday. St. Mark. Feb. 6 St. James.. .July 25 Sts. Philip and James.. Rogation Sunday. Ascension (Holy) Thursday. ........ May 1 Holy Innocents.. .Dec. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after: First Sunday in Lent-February 16, 18 and 19; Pentecost-May 18, 20 and 21; September 14-September 21, 23 and 24; December 13-December 14, 16 and 17. The Jewish year 5670 is the 8th of the 299th cycle of 19 years. 1 5671 4 Tebet .... Tuesday, October 25 Wednesday, October 26 Rosh-Chodesh....Wednesday-Thursday, November 2-3 ...Friday, December 2 .Monday, December 26! Rosh-Chodesh..Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 1911 CHINESE CALENDAR, YEAR 4607. The year 1910 corresponds nearly with the Chinese year 4607, or the 47th year of the 76th cycle of 60 years, and contains 354 days: 1st Month begins Feb. 24 Month begins Mch. 3d Month begins Apr. 4th Month begins May 5th Month begins June 6th Month begins July 10.....lasts 29 days 7th Month begins Aug. 7.. 5......lasts 30 days 4.. .lasts 29 days 3..... .lasts 30 days 2......lasts 30 days 2......lasts 30 days 1, 1911..lasts 29 days The year 1328 is the 8th of the 45th cycle of 30 years and has 854 days. First Day of Chanukah. Years. No. Name. Lasts, -Month. Lasts, Begins. days. .Aug. 8 29 *Sept. 6 30 .Mch. 13 30 1328...10...Schawall 1328...11...Dul Kaeda...... Nov. .Dec. 4 29 29 1329... 1...Muharrem...Jan. 2, 1911 80 30 1328... 1...Muharrem *Fasting. †Feast of Bairam. THE SEASONS; ALSO SUN'S APPARENT PATH THROUGH THE ZODIAC. Eastern Standard Time. The sun will be 7 15 14 longer north of the Equator than south of it. This is due to the slower motion of the earth (apparent motion of the sun) when the earth is near its aphelion or furthest point in its orbit from the sun during the summer months. THE PLANETS. Mercury will be brightest (1) as a morning star, west of the sun, rising about 1h. 20m. before the sun, February 8-16 and October 6-14. He will be furthest west of the sun February 19 (27°) and October 11 (18°). (2) As an evening star, east of the sun, setting about 1h. 25m, after the sun, January 6-14. April 13-21 and December 22-30. He will be furthest east of the sun January 10 (19°) and December 24 (20°). On two other occasions Mercury will be at his greatest angular distance from the sun, but other conditions will be such as to render it difficult if not impossible to see him. Look for a red "star" near the sunrise or sunset points of the horizon about an hour before sunrise or an hour after sunset within the limits of the dates given and you will be very apt to catch this elusive planet. Venus will be brightest as an evening star January 7, and as a morning star March 18-19. At the beginning of the year she will be an evening star and so continue until February 12, after which she will be a morning star until November 26, and then an evening star until the end of the year. On February 12 she will pass between the earth and sun (inferior conjunction), and on November 26 she will be on the opposite side of the earth from the sun (superior conjunction). This planet is very beautiful when at or near her greatest brilliancy, and at such times will cast a distinct shadow in the dark of the moon. An added feature of interest is her phases, for in the course of her orbit she presents all the phases of the moon and with a far greater difference in apparent size or diameter, as shown by the annexed figures: EXPLANATION: A-15 days before superior conjunction, or November 11, 1910. B-At greatest elongation (angular distance) west of the sun, April 23, 1910. C-When brightest as a morning star, March 18-19, 1910. D-Just after inferior conjunction, February 17-28, 1910. E-15 days after superior conjunction, December 11, 1910. F-At greatest elongation east of the sun, July 7, 1911. G— When brightest as an evening star, January 1-10, 1910. H-Just before inferior conjunction, February 1, 1910. All these phases may be seen by the ald of a small telescope or gold field glass. The motion of Venus past the stars is so rapid that it is very interesting to follow her in her journeyings. As her orbit is within that of the Earth's she will more than make the circuit of the heavens in a year. In connection with the following data, see "Chart of the Heavens," also table of "Rising, Southing and Setting of the Planets.'' Here follows a tour of the heavens, with Venus (time, 365 days): January 1 as an evening star in , moving slowly eastward: Stationary January 20 in eastern; retrogrades, moving slowly west past the stars, until March 3, when she will be west of her place on January 1 and stationary again. Being at inferior conjunction February 12 she will not be visible for a few days before and after that date. As a morning star she will first be seen low in the east the last week in February, and will advance with increasing velocity past the stars until August 5: then her daily rate of motion will decrease until October 8 and then increase until December 20. As shown by the figure, she will appear largest early in February and steadily diminish in size throughout almost the entire year, until at the last she will be apparently only one-thirty-sixth of her size in February. On April 23 she will attain her greatest angular distance west of the Sun (46°), appearing, as in B in the figure, a half-moon phase, with the illuminated hemisphere toward the Sun. Throughout May, June and July, Venus and Saturn will be more or less close companions in the eastern morning sky. June 5 they will be only four minutes of arc, or one-eighth of the Moon's apparent diameter, apart, Venus being the most northern. On the previous day (June 4) the Moon will pass south of and close to them, but too late in the morning to see them at the time of nearest approach. Both will be occulted by the Moon on this occasion. This grouping of these three bodies will take place near the boundary line between and P. By June 25 Venus will be only 5 below the Pleiades, and by July 6 about the same distance above (N.) of Aldebaran, the brightest star of the Hyades. On or about Julv 20 she will be close to the great Crab Nebula in 8, and between the tips of the Bull's horns, with the glorious Capella just above (N.) and the brilliant Orion nearly equally distant below her. From this time on she will rise later and later, until the time of her superior conjunction on November 26, becoming invisible considerably before that date. About August 10 she will be nearest to and just south of Castor and Pollux, in, and on September 10, Regulus, in the handle of the Sickle in . will be close to and south of her. About the last we shall see of her, as she becomes lost in the morning twilight. she will be about 5° above (N.) of Spica in m, with Mars just south of her a beautiful stellar combination in the twilight. When she is next visible she will be on the other (E.) side of the sun as an evening star, the last half of December, being just above the Milkmaid's Dipper In 7. See "Conjunctions, etc," for various conjunctions with the Moon. Mars will not be conspicuously bright at any time this year. He will be an evening star until September 27 and afterward a morning star. At the beginning of the year he will be in eastern and close to h. having been in 6 with the ringed planet December 31, 1909, when was only 3° N. of h. Ba March 10 he will have advanced to eastern P, Just below the seven stars or Pleiades, and the last week of March he will pass just above the Hyades. April 20 he will be about midway between Capella on the N. and the Belt of Orion on the S.; by June 1 in S. of Castor and Pollux, and August 1 close to and N. of Regulus in the Sickle in His conjunction with Spica Virginis and Venus October 24 has already been alluded to under "Venus," when will be 3° N. of Spica and (October 22) less than 1 S. of 9. At the close of the year he will be in m close to and above (N.) of the red star Antares. Jupiter will be brightest March 31, as an evening star. He will be an evening star from January 4 to October 19. and a morning star until January 4 and after October 19. At the beginning of the year he will be in my and remain in that constellation until November, when he enters . October 1 he will pass 3° N. of Spica, setting in the evening twilight. The superior planets, those exterior to the earth, may be very properly called "all night" stars at or close to the time of their opposition, or when they rise at sunset and set at sunrise. This will be approximately the case with until March 31. He Saturn will be brightest October 27, being at that time an all night star. may also be considered an evening star until April 16 and after July 30, and as a morning star from April 16 to July 30. He will be in eastern and will cross the line into and return again into at the close of the year. At no time will he be near any bright stars for which he might be mistaken. His wonderful ring system will be best seen during the summer months. Uranus will be brightest July 16 as an evening star, and then only faintly visible to the naked eye. Neptune will be brightest as an evening star January 8. Both Uranus and Neptune are too distant and faint to be objects of general interest. ECLIPSES, 1910. There will be four eclipses this year, two of the Sun and two of the Moon, as follows: I. Tota! of the Sun, May 9, invisible in the United States, visible in the Southern Pacific and Indian oceans. II. Total of the Moon, May 23-24, beginning on the evening of the 23d, and visible in North, Central and South America, except Alaska. Visible as follows: III. Partial of the Sun, November 2, invisible in United States, except Alaska and Hawaiian islands. Visible as follows: Yakutat, Alaska, marks the eastern limit of the eclipse. Throughout Alaska west of Yakutat, and Hawaii, the sun will set more or less eclipsed. Begins, Honolulu, 3:45 p. m.; size, 1 digit. Begins, Nome, Alaska, 1:39 p. m.; size, 5 digits at sunset. Mean tin:e. IV. Total of the Moon, November 16, visible as follows: Vesta, the brightest of the Asteroids and the only one ever visible to the unalded eye when brightest, may be seen in September and October, being brightest on October 28. She will then be in the constellation Cetus, the whale. Her mo ion will be westward past the stars in the head of the whale. The last of September she will be almost two degrees from the brightest star of the constellation, Menkar; early in November, five degrees north of Mira, the wonderful variable star. It will be interesting to watch her pass one degree north of Gamma Ceti on October 10, and four degrees north of Delta Ceti on the 13th. These stars are of the fourth magnitude or about two degrees brighter than Vesta. On October 28 Vesta will be on the meridian at midnight and about 47 degrees up from the southern horizon in latitude 40 degrees. She will not be well situated for visibility again until February, 1912. |