Re: Aldebaran

["John Grove" <4groves@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Bradley E. SCHAEFER <schaefer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> Hi;
> Could you please give me another explanation of your proposed
> system.  For example, I do not understand how the four asterisms can all
> be at the same right ascension.

    They're not at the same RA - They are at the same RA in reference to the
sunrise. If the sunrise is at 10h30, you'll find the given star at 8h00, if
the sunrise is at 23h43 - the given star would be found at 21h13.

And I do not understand how alignments
> are indicated nor how they point at anything and where is sunrise in the
> VMS.

The sun(rise) is at the center of the diagram and the alignment is from the
'key' star in a constellation pointing along the ecliptic toward sunrise -
or - directly through a second star as in Aquarius.  If you look at Leo's
front legs - one has Regulus at the 'knee' and a second point along the
ecliptic for the foot. The star on the ecliptic below Regulus is the one
that falls -2h30 from sunrise.

With Aquarius, the central star at the top of the waterjug lines up through
the forward star pointing toward sunrise.

In Scorpio, the triangle with Arcturus at the point falls at -2h30 from
sunrise.

Aldebaran falls in the right place in Taurus at -2h30, but the VMS picture
shows the 'key' star as being behind the Pleaides instead of in between them
and the sunrise.

John.