Bring the Sun’s place in the ecliptic to the meridian; then that degree of the equator, which is cut by the meridian, will be the Sun’s Right Ascension; and that degree of the meridian, which is exactly over the Sun’s place, is the Sun’s Declination.
After the same manner, bring the place of any Fixed Star to the meridian, and you will find its Right Ascension in the equinoctial, and Declination of the meridian.
Thus, the right ascension and declination is found, after the same manner as the longitude and latitude of a place upon the Terrestrial Globe.
Note, The right ascension and declination of the Sun vary every day; but the right ascension, &c. of the Fixed Stars is the same throughout the year[6].
| The Sun’s Right Ascension. | Declin. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deg. | Deg. | |||
| Thus on |  | January 31 | 314 | 17⅓ S. |
| April 5 | 14¼ | 6 N. | ||
| July 21 | 120¼ | 20½ N. | ||
| November 26 | 242¼ | 21 S. | ||
| R. | Asc. | Dcl. | ||
| Deg. | Deg. | |||
| Aldebaran | 65 | 16 N. | ||
| Spica Virginis | 197¾ | 9¾ S. | ||
| Capella | 74 | 45⅔ | ||
| Syrius, or the Dog-Star | 98¼ | 16⅓ | ||
Note, The declination of the Sun may be found after the same manner by the Terrestrial Globe, and also his right ascension, when the equinoctial is numbered into 360 degrees, commencing at the equinoctial point ♈: But as the equinoctial is not always numbered so, and this being properly a Problem in Astronomy, we choose rather to place it here.
By the converse of this problem, having the right ascension and declination of any point given, that point itself may be easily found upon the globe.