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Octans: Difference between revisions
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The word octant comes from the fact that the instrument's arc covers 1/8th of a circle (=45º). Octans is from the Indo-European root *okto(u)- 'Eight'. Derivatives: eight, octave, octavo, octet, octo-, octad, octopus. [Pokorny okto(u) 775. Watkins] | The word octant comes from the fact that the instrument's arc covers 1/8th of a circle (=45º). Octans is from the Indo-European root *okto(u)- 'Eight'. Derivatives: eight, octave, octavo, octet, octo-, octad, octopus. [Pokorny okto(u) 775. Watkins] | ||
The South Pole is in the constellation Octans. Right at the Poles, the Sun only rises once and sets once each year; the Sun shines for half the year and it is dark for the other half of the year. This makes a year like one long day; six months of light and six months of darkness. The Sun reaches the point farthest south of the celestial equator about December 22nd, when the Sun is highest in the sky at the south pole. | The South Pole is in the constellation Octans. Right at the Poles, the Sun only rises once and sets once each year; the Sun shines for half the year and it is dark for the other half of the year. This makes a year like one long day; six months of light and six months of darkness. The Sun reaches the point farthest south of the celestial equator about December 22nd, when the Sun is highest in the sky at the south pole. | ||
The earth rotates once a day on its axis, an imaginary line that passes through Earth from its north pole to itssouth pole. To avoid confusion between geographic and magnetic north and south poles, the terms positive and negative are sometimes used for the poles of a magnet. The positive pole is that which seeks geographical north, the negative seeks the bottom or nadir.<ref>[http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Octans.htm Constellations of Words]</ref> | The earth rotates once a day on its axis, an imaginary line that passes through Earth from its north pole to itssouth pole. To avoid confusion between geographic and magnetic north and south poles, the terms positive and negative are sometimes used for the poles of a magnet. The positive pole is that which seeks geographical north, the negative seeks the bottom or nadir.<ref>[http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Octans.htm Constellations of Words]</ref> | ||
==HGS Session References== | ==HGS Session References== | ||