The Handbook of the Stars; Containing the Places of 1500 Stars, from the First to the Fifth Magnitude Inclusive, Upwards of 200 of Which Are Noted as (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 Excerpt: ...meridians, and the distance of the point of convergence, are given. The last we may slightly diminish as described in the note on p. 33, but in general there is no necessity for such alteration. The parallels can then be described as parts of The student will find it convenient to mark the stars in with vermilion, the rest of the map in faint Indian ink. In this way the configuration of a constellation may be very clearly exhibited. The effect of such maps as are given in the present work is in like manner improved by taking a tint of Indian ink over meridians, parallels, &c, so as to increase the relative brilliancy of the stars. t As it is not easy to obtain small angles correctly from a protractor, it is better to draw, from the point which is to be the centre of the parallels, two lines to represent meridians tolerably wide apart, multiplying the angle given in Table IV. by 5, 6, 7... according as these meridians are 5, 6, 7.... times 5 from each other, and dividing the arc of any parallel into 6, 6, 7.... equal arcs; then lines from the centre to the points of division are the meridians required. concentric circles. Again, if the part of the sphere to be mapped lies near the equator, we may measure off the distances corresponding to kl and gh in lines at right angles to the central meridian, without appreciable error. An instance of this is given in Map III., in which it will be seen that these distances are not appreciably unequal. Having obtained the meridians, we can readily obtain the parallels. For instance in Map II., opening a pair of dividers to the distance kh or gl, place the point of one leg at k, then place the point of the other leg on the next meridian at r, the first point on the next meridian at t, thence to u, and so on; and the l..