American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac
Encyclopedia
The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac was published for the years 1855 to 1980, containing information necessary for astronomers, surveyors, and navigators. It was based on the original British publication, The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, with which it merged to form The Astronomical Almanac
, published from the year 1981 to the present.
and Joseph Winlock
. Between 1855 and 1881 it had two parts, the first for the meridian of Greenwich
contained data on the Sun
, Moon
, lunar distances
, Venus
, Mars
, Jupiter
, and Saturn
, which was published separately as The American Nautical Almanac. The second part contained data for the meridian of Washington
on the Sun, Moon, planets, principal stars, eclipse
s, occultation
s, and other phenomena. Beginning in 1882, data for Mercury
, Uranus
, and Neptune
was added to the first part, with eclipses, occultations, and other phenomena forming a separate third part. In 1916, The American Nautical Almanac ceased to be a reprint of the first part of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, becoming a separately prepared volume for the navigator. In 1937, the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac was divided into seven parts, with data for the meridian of Washington substantially reduced, then eliminated beginning in 1951. Data for Pluto
was added in 1950.
Beginning in 1960, all parts except for a few introductory pages were jointly calculated and typeset by the American Nautical Almanac Office and Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office but published separately within The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac and The Astronomical Ephemeris, a new name for the old British title The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris. Beginning in 1981, the title The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac and the British title The Astronomical Ephemeris were completely merged under the single title The Astronomical Almanac.
Astronomical Almanac
The Astronomical Almanac is an almanac published by the United States Naval Observatory and Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office, containing solar system ephemeris and catalogs of selected stellar and extragalactic objects....
, published from the year 1981 to the present.
History
Authorized by Congress in 1849, the American Nautical Almanac Office was founded and attached to the Department of the Navy. The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac was first published in 1852, containing data for the year 1855. Its data was originally calculated by human "computers", such as Chauncey WrightChauncey Wright
Chauncey Wright , American philosopher and mathematician, was born at Northampton, Massachusetts.In 1852 he graduated at Harvard, and became computer to the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. He made his name by contributions on mathematical and physical subjects in the Mathematical Monthly...
and Joseph Winlock
Joseph Winlock (astronomer)
Joseph Winlock was an American astronomer and mathematician.He was born in Shelby County, Kentucky, the grandson of General Joseph Winlock...
. Between 1855 and 1881 it had two parts, the first for the meridian of Greenwich
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
contained data on the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, lunar distances
Lunar distance (navigation)
In celestial navigation, lunar distance is the angle between the Moon and another celestial body. A navigator can use a lunar distance and a nautical almanac to calculate Greenwich time...
, Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, and Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, which was published separately as The American Nautical Almanac. The second part contained data for the meridian of Washington
Washington meridian
The Washington meridian was one of four prime meridians of the United States which passed through Washington, D.C.. The four which have been specified are:# through the Capitol# through the White House# through the old Naval Observatory...
on the Sun, Moon, planets, principal stars, eclipse
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer...
s, occultation
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
s, and other phenomena. Beginning in 1882, data for Mercury
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
, Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
, and Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
was added to the first part, with eclipses, occultations, and other phenomena forming a separate third part. In 1916, The American Nautical Almanac ceased to be a reprint of the first part of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, becoming a separately prepared volume for the navigator. In 1937, the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac was divided into seven parts, with data for the meridian of Washington substantially reduced, then eliminated beginning in 1951. Data for Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
was added in 1950.
Beginning in 1960, all parts except for a few introductory pages were jointly calculated and typeset by the American Nautical Almanac Office and Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office but published separately within The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac and The Astronomical Ephemeris, a new name for the old British title The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris. Beginning in 1981, the title The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac and the British title The Astronomical Ephemeris were completely merged under the single title The Astronomical Almanac.
See also
- Astronomical AlmanacAstronomical AlmanacThe Astronomical Almanac is an almanac published by the United States Naval Observatory and Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office, containing solar system ephemeris and catalogs of selected stellar and extragalactic objects....
(specific title) - Astronomical Ephemeris (generic article)
- AlmanacAlmanacAn almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
(generic article) - Nautical almanacNautical almanacA nautical almanac is a publication describing the positions of a selection of celestial bodies for the purpose of enabling navigators to use celestial navigation to determine the position of their ship while at sea...
(generic article) - The Nautical AlmanacThe Nautical AlmanacThe Nautical Almanac has been the familiar name for a series of official British almanacs published under various titles since the first issue of The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, for 1767: this was the first nautical almanac ever to contain data dedicated to the convenient...
(familiar name for a specific series of (official British) publications which appeared under a variety of different full titles for the period 1767 to 1959, as well as being a specific official title (jointly UK/US-published) for 1960 onwards)