NOTE. The constellation, instead of the sign, is given in the above table; count back 30°, or one sign space, for the sign. Owing to the precession of the equinoxes, each sign has slipped back, or backed into, the constellation west of it. The term "constellation" and "sign" applied to one and the same space in the zodiac some 2,000 years ago, but now to avoid confusion the word sign should be dropped, as it simply indicates, for instance, the space of 30°, where now the constellation Leo, the Lion, has replaced Virgo, the Virgin, etc., throughout the whole twelve spaces constituting the zodiac. The Loetschberg tunnel, through the Bernese Alps, which is the third longest in Europe, measures 14,500 metres, or approximately nine miles. CHART SHOWING RELATIVE DURATION OF TWILIGHT, DAYLIGHT AND DARKNESS FOR LAT. 42°+. Note.-Twilight is considered to last until the Sun is 18° below (vertically) the horizon, and to begin when the Sun reaches a similar point in the morning-or 18° before sunrise. When the line on which this 18° is measured is shortest then the twilight will be the shortest, and vice versa. This causes the shortest twilights to Occur in the winter months in northern latitudes, and longest in summer. By an examination of the chart we find the measure of twilight, darkness and daylight of the 24 hours to be: June 21, Length of day.... ..15h. 84m. Length of twilight.... 2h. 30m. The remainder of the space will more than make the 24 hours, which is due to refraction of light, which causes an increase in the apparent length of the day, as also of duration of the twilights. This apparent error is greatest in the winter months, as the Sun then shines through a denser and deeper atmospheric envelope. Jan. 1, Length of day ....... .8h. 54m. Length of twilight ..1h. 45m. Germany has seven cities of over 500,000 population-Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Leipsig, Dresden, Cologne and Breslan. COPYRIGHTED 1908 BY B.H. & B.N. WRIGHT, DE LAND, FLA. THE CHART OF THE HEAVENS. The Chart of the Heavens shows all the bright stars and groups visible in the United States, Canada, Cuba and Hawaii. Stars of the third magnitude are sometimes shown in order to complete a figure. If a bright uncharted body be seen near the "Ecliptic Circle" it must be a planet. To locate the planets or Moon, refer to the earlier each day. or thirty minutes a week, or two hours a month. The chart shows the position at 9 p. m. Then, if the position for any other hour be desired, as for 7 p. m., count back one month, or ahead one month, for 11 p. m., and so on for any hour of the night. A circle described from the zenith on the "Zenith Circle" for the desired latitude with the radius of 90 degrees (see graduated meridian) will show what stars are above the horizon. Thus, Cap ella is near the overhead (zenith) point on latitude 40 degrees North, January 15, 9 p. m., as will be Algenib in the handle of the "Big Dipper" at 3 a. m. Then, from Capella or Algenib all the sur rounding visible groups can be identified. The dot-dash circles in dicate the visible constellations at 9 p. m., January and July, for 40 degrees latitude. The "Pointers," being 5 degrees apart and always in sight, may be used as a convenient unit of measure; also, when visible, the "Belt of Orion," 3 degrees, or the sides of the "Square of Pegasus.' PERPETUAL CALENDAR. The first seven letters of the alphabet, in numerical order, have long been used in almanacs as Dominical letters, or Sunday letters, to indicate what day of the week the year begins on. The days on which consecutive years begin are in the reverse order of the Sunday letters, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and these show the days of the week for January 1 as follows: A, Sunday; B, Saturday; C, Friday; D, Thursday; E, Wednesday; F, Tuesday, and G, Monday. If the year is a leap year, there must be two letters for it; the left hand letter must be used for January and February only, and the other letter used for the other ten months. A table of Dominical letters affords a very simple and ready method of finding the day of the week, of any day of any month, in any year. Table 1 gives the Dominical letters for the Gregorian style, now in general use, beginning in the Catholic states of Europe in 1582. This was not adopted by England until 1752, and by Russia not until 1901. The Julian Calendar, or old style, as now designated, was founded by Julius Cæsar, and began with the year 45 B. C. It assumed the civil year to be just 365 days long, which was 11% minutes too much, and eyery fourth year was of 366 days. In 1582 this error amounted to 10 days, and October 5 was counted the 15th. The history of the world from 45 B. C. to 1582, over 1,600 years, is very largely recorded in the old style dates. That these dates may be put into weekdays for the convenience of students of history, Table 2 is given above. There are no dates in this style prior to 45 B. C. Table 3 can be used in both old and new style. In this table the Sundays in any month are under the Dominical letter for the year given, and in the vertical column opposite to the month given, and, once knowing the Sundays, the other days are mentally obtained. Example: On what day of the week did Columbus discover America (San Salvador), October 12, 1492? This being an old style date, Table 2 must be used. Under the Centurial 1400, and at the right of 92 are the letters AG (a leap year). In Table 3, under G, the 14th of October is found to be Sunday, and hence the 12th was Friday, the day sought. When the given year has two letters, the first applies only to January and February. Therefore G is used in this case. Example: On what day of the week was Abraham Lincoln shot, April 14, 1865? This is a new style date, and Table 1 must be used. Under the Centurial year 1800, and opposite 65 is A, and in Table 3, under A, the 16th of April is found to be Sunday, hence the 14th was Friday, the day wanted, and by a strange coincidence, it was "Good Friday" of church days. he largest Bible in the world is the "Kahgyur," or Buddhist Scriptures of Tibet, which consists of 108 volumes of 1,000 pages each. Each volume weighs 10 |