THE WORLD’S ALMANACS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 4 March 1929, Page 8

THE WORLD’S ALMANACS

The information about the hour of sunset, or sunrise, or the changes of the moon and the tides, to be found in a pocket diary or an almanac, is the outcome of six years of co-operative work by the leading astronomers of five nations, says the “Daily Herald.” On 17th August, 1927, calculations for the year were begun by eminent scientists ip the Greenwich Observatory and the Nautical Almanac Office. These men work out for all the nations the right ascension and declination of the sun, moon, and 84 of the fixed stars at each of the 24 hours in every-day. By August, 1928, these were printed and sent to the directors of the national observatories in the United States; Germany, France and Spain to enable the astronomers of each of these nations to begin their quota of the work. No part is duplicated. The United States astronomers work out the eclipses of tho sun and the moon for all tho nations, and the hourly positions of .the planets and their satellites. In France the hourly positions of the polar stars arc calculated, while the same work for other fixed stars is done in Germany and Spain. Tlio work in these four countries takes about 18 months. Greenwich combines the results in the Nautical Almanac for 1933, which will be printed and issued bv the. end of 1930. From this all the. nations will be able to work out for each of their own ports the daily times and heights of the tides. This information must then be issued to the makers of calendars not later than January. 1932.