THE

NATIONAL ALMANAC AND ANNUAL RECORD

FOR THE YEAR

1864,

Being the latter part of the 88th and the beginning of the 89th year of the Independence of the United States of America; also,

2617 since the foundation of Rome, according to Varro;

2611 since the beginning of the era of Nabonassar, which has been assigned to Wednesday, the 26th of February, of the 3967 th year of the Julian Period, corresponding, according to the chronologists, to the 747 th, and, according to the astronomers, to the 746th year before the birth of Christ;

2640 of the Olympiads, or the fourth year of the 660th Olympiad, commencing in July, 1861, if we fix the era of the Olympiads at 7754 years before Christ, or near the beginning of July of the year 3938 of the Julian Period;

2176 of the Grecian era, or the era of the Seleucidæ ;

1580 of the era of Diocletian.

The year 1281 of the Mohammedan era, or the era of the Hegira, begins on the 6th of June, 1864. The first day of January of the year 1864 is the 2,401,872d day since the commencement of the Julian Period.

Palm Sunday......

Easter Sunday

Mean time at
Washington.

Seasons.

H. M.

Mar. 20, 3 2 A.M.
June 20, 11 44 P.M.
Sept. 22, 2 8 "
Dec. 21, 7 55 A.M.

Movable Feasts and Fasts for 1864.

Jan. 24.

Ascension Day

May 5.

Feb. 10.

Whit Sunday

May 15.

Mar. 20.

Corpus Christi

May 26.

............. Nov. 27.

Eclipses.

There will be two eclipses this year,-both of the Sun.

I. A Central Eclipse of the Sun, May 5, visible as a partial eclipse in the eastern part of Asia, the northern part of Australia, and the northwestern part of North America. In the United States it will be visible as a partial one, just before sunset, west of the line passing from Galveston, Texas, to the western end of Lake Superior. This eclipse

Begins on the Earth, May 5, 4h. 22m. P.M. Washington time, in longitude 156° 3′ W. of Washington, and in latitude 1° 25′ S.

Ends on the Earth, May 5, 9h. 55m., in longitude 53° 25′ W. of Washington, and in latitude 20° 9' N.

Central eclipse at noon, in longitude 109° 28′ W. of Washington, and in latitude 32° 14′ N. According to Hausen's Tables of the Sun and Moon at the instant of conjunction, the diameter of the Moon will be only 2".4 smaller than that of the Sun, and through the effect of parallax the eclipse may be total.

II. An Annular Eclipse of the Sun, October 30, visible in South America as an annular, and in the southern part of North America and southwestern part of Africa as a partial, eclipse. This eclipse Begins on the Earth, October 30, 7h. 23m. A.M. Washington time, in longitude 23° 6′ W. of Washington, and in latitude 6° 26' N.

Ends on the Earth, October 30, 1h. 21m. P.M., in longitude 289° 19′ W. of Washington, and in latitude 19° 24' S.

Central eclipse at noon, in longitude 340° 47′ W. of Washington, and in latitude 24° 57′ 8.

In the United States this eclipse will be visible at sunrise as a small partial one in the southern parts of California and Texas. In the central part of South America this eclipse will be favorable for observation.

Morning and Evening Stars.

Venus will be morning star till July 18, then evening star the rest of the year. Mars will be morning star till December 1, then evening star the rest of the year. Jupiter will be morning star till May 13, then evening star till November 30, then morning star the rest of the year. Saturn will be morning star till April 4, then evening star till October 13, then morning star the rest of the year.

Visibility of Mercury.

This planet will attain its greatest elongations from the Sun on January 9, April 30, August 28, and December 22, when it will be east of the Sun; and on February 18, June 17, and October 9, when it will be west of the Sun.

Duration of Twilight.

The following table exhibits the duration of twilight, morning and evening. It is calculated for a north latitude of 40 20', with the Sun 18° below the horizon.

Jan.

H. M.

H. M.

H. M.

1.................... 1 39 May 11... ............. 1 52 Sept. 18.......................... 1 33 11................................................ 38

21.......................... 36

21.... 31...

20............

30.............

33

............... 1 56

28....

32

22..........................

32 33

May

1.......................... 1 45 Sept. 8.................... 1 35

TABLE showing the Rise and Fall of the Tide, in Feet, at various Sea-Ports of the United States.

(From the "United States Coast Survey Report," 1869.)

The times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon have been calculated for four points,—viz. Boston, New York, Washington, and San Francisco. They will serve, however, for other points which do not differ much in latitude,-though for the moon's rising and setting we should add as we go west, and subtract as we go east, about one minute and a half for every ten degrees of longitude. The time of high water has been calculated for only one of the two daily tides; the other will be half-way between the two given in the table, on each side of it. Thus, we have the evening high tide at New York, March 7, 9h. 14m.; the morning tide occurs half-way between 9h. 14m, and 10h. 1m., or at 9h. 37m.

The letters m. and e. in the tables for the rising and setting of the planets, and for the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites, signify morning and evening.

The times given for the rising and setting of the planets, and for the eclipses of the satellites of Jupiter, are computed for the meridian of Washington. The times of the southing of the sun and moon are also given for the meridian of that observatory: the former is sufficiently accurate for any place in the United States; but to the latter we should add as we go west, and subtract as we go east, about one minute and a half for each ten degrees of longitude, as is directed for the rising and setting, above.

The following signs are used in the column of Phenomena: