Right Oblique Ascension, Planetary Hours Definition of Right AscensionDistance measured along the celestial equator, Eastward from

the point of the Spring Equinox; or, as sometimes described, distance along the circle of declination. v. Celestial Sphere.

Definition of Oblique Ascension ( .!." !s it rises, a star or planet, not on the equator, forms an angle with that part of the equator which is rising at the same time. #his is called its !scensional difference. (!.D." #his !.D. added to the $.!. if it have S. declination, and subtracted therefrom if it have %. declination, gives its blique !scension. &n the Southern hemisphere, reverse; add, if %.; subtract, if S.

#he equator is alwa's at right angles to a line between the %orth and South (oles. !n' meridian circle can be considered as the hori)on of a place on the equator go degrees distant from that meridian * hence, from that point such meridian can be called the hori)on of the pole. !t either pole a planet on an' parallel of declination moves along an arc parallel to the equator, to the hori)on of the pole. &t has neither ascension nor descension, but remains, da' and night, above or below the hori)on, according as it is in %orth or South declination. +iewed from a place on the equator, a star will b' the axial rotation of the Earth, be carried along an arc parallel to the equator, hence it rises and sets at right angles to the hori)on of that place. !ll places in latitudes north and south of the equator, have a prime vertical that cuts the equator at an angle equal to the latitude of the place; and the hori)on cuts the equator at an angle equal to the complement of the latitude. Stars and planets rise and set obliquel', since the' follow arcs parallel to the equator * to which the hori)on is oblique. #he semi*arc of a bod' on the equator is alwa's go degrees, or - hours; the whole arc is alwa's ./0 degrees or .1 hours. n the equator da's and nights are equal, and the semi*arcs of all bodies are equal; but in latitudes north or south of the equator the arcs above and below the hori)on are unequal, although together these ma2e ./0 degrees or .1 hours. #he difference between 30 degrees and the diurnal or nocturnal semi*arc of a bod' is thus its !scensional Difference; and its $ight !scension, plus or minus this !scensional Difference, is its blique !scension. Definition of Planetary Hours 4ours. Eg'ptian astronom' had onl' seven planets, arranged in this order, Saturn, 5upiter, 6ars, Sun, +enus, 6ercur', 6oon * based seemingl' on the apparent velocities of the bodies. &n rotation, each hour of the 17*hour da' was consecrated to a planet. &f Saturn ruled the first hour, it also ruled the /th, .8th and 11nd. !s 5upiter would then rule the 19rd, and 6ars the 17th hour, the first hour of the following da' would be ruled b' the Sun; and so on. #he da's thus came to be 2nown b' the ruler of the first hour, resulting in our present order of the da's of the wee2. #hus the order of the da's of the wee2, which can be hormoni)ed with no observable cosmic plan, are explainable onl' b' a student of astrolog'. #he hatred of the 5ews for the Eg'ptians after their flight from Eg'pt is said to have caused them to :demote: Saturn from the rulership of the first da', b' beginning the wee2 on Sunda', ma2ing Saturn;s da' the last da' of the wee2. (robabl' some s'mbolical association of the Sun with the 4ebrew idea of 5ehovah, had something to do with it. #he evolution of the English names of the da's, from the <atin, through the Saxon, resulted as follows, %orse...<atin............=rench.......Saxon..........English ........Sol..............<e Dimanche..Sun;s da'......Sunda' ........<una.............<undi........6oon;s da'.....6onda' #'r.....6artis (6ars"....6ardi........#iw;s da'......#uesda' >otan...6ercurius........6ercredi.....>oden;s da'....>ednesda' #hor....5ove (5upiter"...5eudi........#hor;s da'.....#hursda' =re'a...+eneris (+enus"..+endredi.....=rigg;s da'....=rida' ........Saturni..........Samedi.......Seterne;s da'..Saturda' ?nder this s'stem an hour was not uniforml' -0 minutes, except at the equinoxes. &t was one*twelfth of the interval between sunrise and sunset, b' da'; and the reverse, b' night. ! planet favorabl' aspected suggests that action be initiated during that planet;s hour; or if unfavorabl' aspected, that one should wait for others to act. >ilson goes to some length in expressing doubt as to the efficac' and logic of this s'stem. #he astonishing thing about this sequence is the placing of the Sun between +enus and 6ars, showing that the ancients reali)ed that in spea2ing of the Sun the' were actuall' ma2ing reference to the position of the Earth as determined b' the apparent position of the Sun.