ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATIONS.

(Prepared by S. Hart Wright, M. D., A. M., Ph. R, Penn Yan, N. Y.) Five eclipses for 1902, as follows:

I.

II.

Partial of the sun, April 8, of less than one d seen only in the Arctic Ocean. Total of the moon, April 22, seen in Asia, Europe and Africa. III. Partial of the sun, May 7, of about ten digits, seen in New-Zealand and in part of the Pacific Ocean. IV. Total of the moon, October 16-17, visible generally in the United States. V. Partial of the sun, October 31, of eight digits, seen in Europe and Asia. Lunar Eclipse, Oct. 16-17* [Intercolonial. Mountain.

Eelipse begins.

Eastern. Central.

Pacific. H. M.

8 17 ev.

Total begins.

1 19 mo.

0 19 mo.

9 19 ev. 10 3 ev. 10 48 ev. 11 50 ev.

No. 1, first contact.

No. 2, first six digits. No. 3, total and middle. No. 4, last six digits. No. 5, last contact. N is north point of the moon. No. 1 is 86° east; No. 5, 118° west of it.

Note The line from the moon's centre to N points to the North Star always.

SUPERIOR PLANETS EAST OR WEST OF THE SUN.
Mars. after March 29..
West
Jupiter, from Jan. 15 to Aug. 5......West
Saturn, from Jan. 9 to July 17......West
Uranus, until June 10 and after Dec. 14. West
MORNING AND EVENING STARS.

Mars, until March 29.
..East |
Jupiter, until Jan.15. and after Aug. 5. East
Saturn, until Jan. 9, and after July 17.East
Uranus, from June 10 to Dec. 14.....East
THE SEASONS.

Winter begins 1901, Dec.
Spring begins 1902, March
Summer begins 1902, June
Autumn begins 1902, Sept.
Winter begins 1902, Dec.

D. H.M
22 7 1 Mo.
21 8 Mo.
22 9 6 Mo.
23 6 40 Ev.
22 1 19 Ev.

PLANETS

Venus from Feb. 14 to Nov. 28 will be a morning star, and it will be an evening star to Feb, 14 and after Nov. 28.

Mercury, evening star, from Jan. 2 to Feb. 18; April 28 to June 23; Aug. 11 to Oct. 19, and after Dec. 12. Mercury, morning star, Feb. 18 to April 28; June 23 to Aug. 11; Oct. 19 to Dec. 12.

BRIGHTEST.

Mercury, Feb. 1 to 3 and Sept. 25 to 30. after sunset; also March 11 to 15 and Nov. 4 to 7, rising before the sun. Venus, Jan. 5 and March 21. Mars, not this year. Jupiter, Aug. 5. Saturn, July 17. Uranus, June 10. Neptune, Dec. 24. Jupiter will be in Capricornus after March 16. Saturn will be in Sagittarius all the year, and Uranus in Scorpio all the year.

ERAS.

The Mahometan year 1320 begins April 10.
The Jewish year 5663 begins October 2.
The Japanese year 2562 is 1902 A. D.
The Olympian year 2678 begins in July, 1902.

NOTE. The times of the lunar eclipse of October 16-17, the moon's phases and the tides for three ports are given in Standard Time, used by railroads, and for the tides the standard used at the ports is that for the 75th meridian. For all other computations in the Almanac true mean solar time is used. Standard time, being artificial, cannot be used for such without much confusion and some error, besides being very impracticable where solar time is needed.

AZIMUTH TABLE OF POLARIS, OR NORTH STAR, 1902. The surveyor may find the true north by observing Polaris either when it crosses the meridian or is at the greatest eastern or western elongation. The latter plan is preferable to the former, but it calls for a knowledge of the azimuth of the star, which is not uniform for al: seasons and latitudes. Hence the table given herewith. If one knows approximately the time when the elongation will be reached, he can follow the star with his transit until it cease to move further to the eastward (or westward). Then, by reading his compass and applying the correction for azimuth, he will get the variation of the needle. In case of doubt it may be wise to repeat the observation a night or two later,

The eastern elongation is the one to use from early May to the middle of October, and the western will serve for all but a few weeks of the remainder of the year. In 1902 Polaris will be at its eastern elongation on May 10, at about 4:17 a. m.; May 16, 3:54 a. m.; June 1, 2:51 a. m.; June 16, 1:52 a. m.; July 1, 12:54 a. m.; July 16, 11:55 eve.; August 1, 10:5: p. m.; August 16, 9:54 p. n.; September 1, 8:51 p. m.; September 16, 7:52 p. m.; October 1, 6:53 p., m.; October 16, 5:50 p. m. The western elongation occurs on October 16, a about 5:40 a. m.; November 1, 4:37 a. m.; November 16, 3:38 a. m.; December 1, 2:39 a. m.; December 16, 1:40 a. m.; January 1, 12:36 morn.; January 16, 11:36 eve.; February 1 10:3 p. m.; February 15, 9:34 p. m.; March 1, 8:43 p. m.; March 16, 7:44 p. m.; April 1, 6:40 p. m. The event occurs four minutes earlier each night than on the preceding one.

From the closing days of March until May 10 Polaris will be on the meridian, and hence in the true north, when a plumb line will cover it and 38 Cassiopeæ simultaneously. The latter is a star of the sixth magnitude, some 20 degrees distant from the Polé Star. Delta Cassiopeæ, some 10 degrees further away, but brighter, is approximately in the same celestial longtitude, but 38 Cassiopeæ corresponds much more precisely. It will be directly under Polaris on April 1, at about 12:47 a. m.; April 16, 11:49 p. m.; May 1, 10:49 p. m., and May 10, 10:14 p. m.

AZIMUTH OF POLARIS (NORTH STAR) FOR 1902, WHEN AT ITS GREATEST ELONGATION, EAST OR WEST, FOR THE LATITUDE AND DATES GIVEN.

19

41

23

15

35

4

50

55

18

December 21

18

December |31|1 12 18 1 22 40 1.24 21 1 26 13 1 28 16 1 30 32 1 33 2 1 35 48 1 38 52 1 42 15