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Newcomb, Simon, 1835-1909

"Side-Lights on Astronomy and Kindred Fields of Popular Science"


An old ephemeris, and one well known in astronomy is that
published by the Observatory of Milan, Italy, which has lately
entered upon the second century of its existence. Its data are
extremely meagre and of no interest whatever to the navigator. The
greater part of the volume is taken up with observations at the
Milan Observatory.
Since taking charge of the American Ephemeris I have endeavored to
ascertain what nautical almanacs are actually used by the
principal maritime nations of Europe. I have been able to obtain
none except those above mentioned. As a general rule I think the
British Nautical Almanac is used by all the northern nations, as
already indicated. The German Nautical Jahrbuch is principally a
reprint from the British. The Swedish navigators, being all well
acquainted with the English language, use the British Almanac
without change. The Russian government, however, prints an
explanation of the various terms in the language of their own
people and binds it in at the end of the British Almanac. This
explanation includes translations of the principal terms used in
the heading of pages, such as the names of the months and days,
the different planets, constellations, and fixed stars, and the
phenomena of angle and time.


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