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PART VI. 
TABLES. 
Explanation of the Tables. 
Table I. contains the sun’s declination, to the nearest minute, for the 
years 1899,1900,1901, and 1902; the declinations for the years 1903, 1904, 
1905 and 1906 are almost equally correct, but as 1900, though divisible 
by 4, is not a leap-year the day must be advanced by one for 1903 as 
shown in the table, thus the declination for January 7th, 1899, corre¬ 
sponds, nearly, for that of January 8th, 1903. This remark also applies 
to the equation of time. Table II., and the right ascension of the sun, 
Table III. 
Table II. contains the equation of time for 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1902, 
to the nearest second, and will serve very well for common purposes for 
the 4th or 8th years after. The error will be greatest from the latter 
end of May to the middle of July, to 2 secs, or 3 secs, in a period of four 
years. The words “add” or “sub.” indicate the manner in which the 
equation is to be applied to apparent time to convert it into mean time. 
{See note on the year 1903 in explanation of Table 7.) 
Table III. contains the apparent, or actual, right ascension of the sun 
for the years 1899, 1900, 1901,1902, to the nearest second, and will be 
very nearly correct for every succeeding fourth year; they may be farther 
corrected by adding 0 * 55 secs, for each year elapsed from the given year. 
The sidereal time at mean noon may be found approximately by 
applying the equation of time (Table II.) to the sun’s right ascension 
the contrary way to that directed; thus the sun’s right ascension 
August 5th, 1899, is 9 h. 1 m. 6 secs., and the equation of time (Table II.) 
is 5 m. 48 secs, “add”; hence subtracting 5 m. 48 secs, from 9 h. 1 m. 
6 secs. = 8 h. 55 m. 18 secs., the sidereal time required, nearly. {See 
note on the year 1903 in explanation of Table /.). 
Table IY. contains the mean places of 50 stars of the first and second 
magnitudes for the 1st of January, 1901, with their annual variation in 
right ascension and declination. 
