■ This table shows the time (EST or EDT) and altitude of a star as it transits the meridian (i.e., reaches its highest elevation while passing over the horizon’s south point) at Boston on the dates shown. The transit time on any other date differs from that of the nearest date listed by approximately four minutes per day. To find the time of a star’s transit for your location, convert its time at Boston using Key Letter C.*
–Beth Krommes
Time of Transit (ES T/EDT) Bold = P.M. Light = A. M.
On Nov. 1, 1: 11 = EDT; other Nov. 1 times = EST.
Jan. 1 Mar. 1 May 1 July 1 Sept. 1 Nov. 1
12: 49 8: 57 5: 58 1: 58 9: 50 4: 50
1: 40 9: 48 6: 48 2: 48 10: 40 5: 41
3: 56 12:04 9:04 5:04 1:00 7: 57
8:06 4: 14 1: 14 9: 14 5: 10 1: 11
9: 33 5: 41 2: 41 10: 42 6: 38 1: 38
10: 12 6: 20 3: 20 11: 20 7: 16 2: 16
10: 14 6: 22 3: 22 11: 22 7: 19 2: 19
10: 22 6: 30 3: 30 11: 31 7: 27 2: 27
10: 52 7:00 4:00 12:01 7: 57 2: 57
11: 42 7: 50 4: 50 12: 50 8: 47 3: 47
12: 40 8: 44 5: 44 1: 44 9: 41 4: 41
12: 46 8: 50 5: 50 1: 50 9: 47 4: 47
3:09 11: 13 8: 13 4: 13 12:09 7:09
6: 25 2: 33 11: 29 7: 29 3: 26 10: 26
7: 15 3: 23 12: 23 8: 20 4: 16 11: 16
9: 29 5: 37 2: 37 10: 33 6: 29 1: 30
11: 36 7: 44 4: 44 12: 44 8: 36 3: 36
Star Altair Deneb Fomalhaut Algol Aldebaran Rigel Capella Bellatrix Betelgeuse Sirius Procyon Pollux Regulus Spica Arcturus Antares Vega
Constellation Aquila Cygnus Psc. Aus. Perseus Taurus Orion Auriga Orion Orion Can. Maj. Can. Min. Gemini Leo Virgo Boötes Scorpius Lyra
Magnitude
0.8
1. 3
1. 2
2. 2
0.9
0.1
0.1
1. 6 var. 0.4
– 1. 4 0.4 1. 2
1. 4 var. 1.0
–0.1 var. 0.9
0
Altitude (degrees)
56. 3
92. 8
17. 8
88. 5
64. 1
39. 4
93. 6
54.0
55.0
31.0
52. 9
75. 7
59. 7
36. 6
66. 9
21. 3
86. 4
■ To find the time of a star’s rising at Interval Rising Setting Boston on any date, subtract the interval Star (h.m.) Key Dir. Key Dir. shown at right from the star’s transit time Altair 6: 36 B EbN E WbN Fomalhaut 3: 59 E SE D SW on that date; add the interval to find the Aldebaran 7:06 B ENE D WNW star’s setting time. To find the rising and Rigel 5: 33 D EbS B WbS setting times for your city, convert the Bellatrix 6: 27 B EbN D WbN Boston transit times above using the Key Betelgeuse 6: 31 B EbN D WbN Sirius 5:00 D ESE B WSW Letter* shown at right before applying the Procyon 6: 23 B EbN D WbN interval. The directions in which the stars Pollux 8:01 A NE E NW rise and set, shown for Boston, are gener- Regulus 6: 49 B EbN D WbN ally useful throughout the United States. Spica 5: 23 D EbS B WbS Arcturus 7: 19 A ENE E WNW Deneb, Algol, Capella, and Vega are cir- Antares 4: 17 E SEbE A SWbW cumpolar stars—they never set but appear *The values of Key Letters are given in the Time to circle the celestial north pole. Corrections table (page 237).
References:
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