Stephen Godwin

Name: Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere
Author: Stephen Godwin

Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

Summary

“Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere”, published in 1802, is a work by Stephen Godwin. It explores elements such as Planisphere, Ecliptic and Equinoctial.

Quotes from Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (Stephen Godwin)

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Who does not make some use or other of the rising, culminating, (or, passing the Meridian) and setting of the Sun, Moon, and Stars?—The merchant, the mariner, the traveller, and every public and private student, down to the peasant, who knows and regulates his times and seasons, his labour and rest, by the Sun, Moon and Stars, all have their interests in this part of Astronomy, the Diurnal and Horary Motion of the Spheres ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ When the reader has studied and learnt the Principle and Construction of the Planisphere, which is easy to accomplish, he will find it is adapted, in the most easy and ready manner, for solving all the Problems to which it is applied, and I may venture to say, far more so than the Celestial Globe, it being inconvenient on the Globe to apply, and work the Hour Circle and the days of the months together, and to concentrate the Hour Circle and the Ecliptic is impossible ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ The use of the Prime Vertical in the Planisphere is very obvious; for when, by the diurnal rotation of the Earth, any celestial object comes to this circle in the eastern Hemisphere, it appears due East: and if it be in the western Hemisphere, it is due West, and its Altitude, in both Cases, is seen by inspection; also, when any celestial object comes to the southern part of the Meridian, its meridian Altitude is seen on the scale of Altitude; and when any object is rising or setting, its Azimuth and Amplitude are seen on the Horizon, with the Point of the Compass on which it rises or sets. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Having now described, and prepared the Planisphere for use, I shall next explain the motions of the Terraqueous Globe on which we live: and first, according to the true, or Copernican System of the Universe, this Globe is a Planet, revolving round the Sun in an orbit somewhat elliptical, and in the space of 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes, being accompanied with the Moon, and hath the Sun at rest in the center of its orb.–Now, conceive at a vast distance, without this system, the sphere of the fixed Stars ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Amplitude of the Sun, or a Star, is an Arc of the Horizon, intercepted between the East or West Points, and that Point where the object rises or sets; and note! you will find the degrees of the Azimuths, and Amplitudes on the Horizon of the Index to the Planisphere; the degree of Amplitude at rising, is called Amplitude Ortive, and Occasive at setting, which must be denominated, whether it be North, or South.
Precept 9. Cosmical Rising, or Setting, is when a Star or Planet rises or sets when the Sun doth. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Then, to find the Tropic of Capricorn, you must make 45° on these lower Tangents a parallel distance of 45° on the upper Tangents, and take 23° 28' beyond that, for the parallel of Capricorn. Then, the Arctic Circle is 23° 30' from the Pole: and these are all the concentric Circles in the Plane, except the Circle of the Months, which is near the outward edge of the Planisphere. The next Circle is the Ecliptic, the apparent annual path of the Sun, and it is drawn thus:— set off the Secant of 23° 30' from Cancer, on the Solstitial Colure towards the Pole, and this shall be it’s center ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Problem 9. To find the length of the longest and shortest days at London. Bring the first point of Cancer to the eastern Horizon, lay the director, through it, and it points to 3 hours, 47 minutes, A. M. or 13 minutes before 4 in the morning, subtract this from 12 hours, and it leaves 8 hours, 13 minutes for the Semi-diurnal Arc, which doubled, gives 16 hours, 26 minutes for the length of the day; but, subtract this from 24 hours, and it leaves 7 hours, 34 minutes for the shortest night under Cancer ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Again, what two days will be 13 hours, 30 minutes long each? Turn the director to 45 minutes after six Westward, and move it and the the Horizon together, till some point in the Ecliptic exactly intersects them both, and it points out September 1st. for one of the days; and, when brought to 15 minutes past 5, in the morning hours, or Eastern side of the Meridian, the director points out April 10th. for the other. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ THERE have been many Planispheres invented and published, at different periods, within a century or two past, for different uses; some for Geography, some for Astronomy and Chronology, and some applicable to a few detached articles of all the three ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Godwin, Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (1802)

“ Problem 33. To find the Jewish hours by the Planisphere, viz. they divide the day, and night, be it long or short, into twelve equal parts, from Sun-rising to Sun setting, for the day, and from Sun-setting to its rising for the night; thus, in the Equinoctial, the Jewish hours, and the common hours are alike in length, viz. 60 minutes ”

Stephen Godwin

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Quotes from Description and Use of a New Celestial Planisphere (Stephen Godwin)

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