OF THE ORIENTATIONS OF A NUMBER OF GREEK TEMPLES. 
819 
It is now necessary to inquire if there be any bright star or star group which, 
at a date consistent with' archaeological possibilities, would have had a declination 
near the above, and also such right ascension that it could also have been heliacal. 
At this stage of the inquiry we may find by an approximate method the time that 
such a star would take to pass from altitude 3° to the meridian, and this would be 
about 6'' 8"', and that it would require the Sun to rise from to 1^ hours later (that 
is, the Sun must be so much further from the meridian in R.A.) to enable the star to 
be seen. 
We have therefore now to find a star of which the R.A. is approximately 23’^ 40"^ 
and the declination + 7° 40'. 
The search for the star may be made in several ways. From the R.A. and declina- 
nation given above, a celestial latitude and longitude might be computed for some 
probable archseological epoch and recomputed into modern right ascensions and decli¬ 
nations, or with the latitude so obtained and the longitude adjusted for the amount 
of processional movement we might refer to maps, such as those of the British 
Association, which show both the R,A. and declination, and the latitudes and 
longitudes of stars. A ready approximate method is aftbrded by the globe described 
by Mr. Lockyer"^ on which the pivot can be shifted so as to suit the movements of 
the pole for different epochs. I have found that on a stereographic projection of the 
sphere, taken on the pole of the ecliptic, but showing R.A. hours and parallels of 
declination, the approximate places of stars as affected by precession can readily be 
found by marking the point under consideration, together with the straight line 
which coincides with the solstitial colure and the pole of the ecliptic, on tracing paper, 
and, keeping the latter mark superimposed, making the tracing paper revolve round 
the point on the projection which represents the pole of the ecliptic ; it may thus be 
made to indicate both the R.A. and declination at a different date, which latter also 
is measured by the angle through which the colure line has revolved. 
In the case before us, the place representing 23'^ 40“ R.A. and -f 7° 40' declination 
on being turned about till it reached an angle of polar movement due to about 2650 
years, reckoned back from 1850 a.d., rested upon the modern place of a Arietis and 
pointed out this star for more rigid calculation. It should be mentioned that there 
are in every case of intra-solstitial orientations four possible solutions of this step. 
The Sun’s amplitude may be due either to the spring or the autumnal place, and the 
star might be heliacal either at rising or setting. I have tried these four possible 
solutions in the case of every temple of which I had the requisite data by the 
approximate method above described, and have never failed in one of early date to 
find one solution, and in no case more than one. 
When, as in this case, we have found the star (and it should be noticed that this 
star—the brightest of the first sign of the zodiac and therefore most fitting for a 
temple of Jupiter—is also the time star to the Olympieum at Athens, and apparently 
* ‘ Nature,’ January 28, 1892. 
5 M 2 
