COMMON THINGS THE ALMANACK. 



77. To profit by the mass of interesting and useful information 

 thus supplied, it is not at all necessary to be a practical astronomer, 

 but it is necessary to understand the meaning of a few astro- 

 nomical terms, which fortunately admit of very easy and simple 

 explanation. 



The heavens are as thickly strewed with stars by day as by 

 night, but they are rendered invisible by the overpowering 

 splendour of the sun. It is only in the absence of that luminary, 

 therefore, that such objects can be seen. One of the most 

 interesting classes of predictions given in the almanacks are those 

 which indicate the positions of the most remarkable celestial 

 objects relatively to that of the sun, from time to time, through 

 the year. 



78. When an object is so placed that it is on the meridian at 

 noon, it is said to be in CONJUNCTION. It is then in the same 

 quarter of the heavens with the sun, and rises and sets either 

 exactly with or very little before or after the sun. Such an 

 object, consequently, can never be visible, at least not with the 

 naked eye, for in some cases it may be seen by the aid of a telescope. 



79. When an object is so placed that it is on the meridian at 

 midnight, it is said to be in OPPOSITION, for it is then in the 

 quarter of the heavens directly opposed to the sun. It rises either 

 exactly at or very little before or after sunset, and sets either 

 exactly at or very little before or after sunrise. Such a position 

 is therefore the most favourable one an object can have for being 

 observed, since it is above the horizon during the night, and below 

 it during the day. 



80. When an object is separated from the sun by a quarter of 

 the entire. circuit of the heavens, it is said to be in QTTADEATFEE. 

 If in that case it be to the East of the sun, it follows the sun, and 

 will arrive at the meridian six hours later than the sun, that is, 

 at 6 P.M. If it be to the West of the sun, it will precede the sun, 

 and will pass the meridian six hours before the sun, that is 

 at 6 A.M. 



81. An object which is in east quadrature will therefore rise at 

 or a little before or after noon, and will be on the meridian at or 

 a little before or after sunset. Such an object, therefore, will be 

 visible towards the west from sunset to midnight, at or near which 

 it will set. 



An object which is in west quadrature will, in like manner, rise 

 at or a little before or after midnight, and will be on or near the 

 meridian at sunrise. Such an object will therefore be seen towards 

 the east from midnight to sunrise. 



Thus, for example, when Yenus, the most splendid of the planets, 

 is removed from the sun towards the east, it is seen towards the 

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