CHAP. III. How to make the Polar Dial, and how to place it.
THe Plane of the Polar Dial lieth in the Aequinoctial, where the 12 chief Meridians or Hour-circles divide both the Aequinoctial and this Plane into 24 Hours or equal parts; the Gnomon stands upon the Center at Right An∣gles with the Plane.
First draw the Horizontal Line AB, and cross the same at Right Angles with the Line CD; now on the Center at G, with the Chord of 60 Degrees, or with the Tangent of three hours, you may describe the Circle ACBD, and about it make the Square EFHI; then take out of the Hour-line one Hour, and lay it from each corner, as EFHI both ways: also do the like with two hours as you see done, and from the Center at G draw Lines to those Hour-points: so shall you have the Hour-lines in the Aequinoctial Dial; CD being the Meridian or 12 a clock Line, and AB the East and West Line, serving for 6 in the morning at B, and 6 in the afternoon at A, and so number the rest of the Hours in order: You need draw no more hours than from 4 in the morning unto 8 at night, for this Latitude of Bristol, being neer 51 d. 30 min.
For the Gnomon or Stile, you must have a straight Pin or Wyre set upright in the Center, of such length as you see convenient; but if you will have it of such a length as may neither be too short nor too long, then take this Rule.
How by Calculation to find the length of the Stile, and Semidiameters of the Parallels of Declination.
IF it were required to proportion the Stile to the Plane, suppose the Semidiameter of the greatest Parallel upon the Plane were but 6 Inches, and the Parallels should be the 5 d. of Declination, the Rule is general.
As the Tangent of 45 deg. | 1000000 |
Is to the Tangent-parallel of Declination 5 deg. | 894195 |
So is the Semidiameter of the Plane 6 inches OA | 277813 |
To the length of the Stile 53 parts | 172010 |
How to find by the length of the Stile, the Semidiameter of the Pa∣rallel Circles of Declination.
SUppose the length of the Stile above the Plane to be 10 inches, and you were to find the Semidiameter of the Tropick, whose Declination is known to be 23 deg. 30 min. the Rule is for this and any other Declination,
As the Tangent of 45 deg. | 1000000 |
Is to the length of the Stile 10 inches | 100000 |
So is the Co-tangent of Declination 23 deg. 30 min. | 1036169 |
To the Semidiameter of his Circle 23 inches | 136169 |