This star finder can easily be made by anyone who can use a few tools as the parts are all wood and the only lathe work necessary is the turned shoulder on the polar axis and this could be dressed and sandpapered true enough for the purpose. The base is a board 5 in. wide and 9 in. long which is fitted with an ordinary wood screw in each corner for leveling. Two side pieces cut with an angle equal to the colatitude of the place are nailed to the base and on top of is fastened another board on which is marked the hour circle as shown. The end of the polar axis B, that has the end turned with a shoulder, is fitted in a hole bored in the center of the hour circle. The polar axis B is secured to the board with a wooden collar and a pin underneath. The upper end of the polar axis is fitted with a 1/4-in. board, C, 5-1/2 in. in diameter. A thin compass card divided into degrees is fitted on the edge of this disk for the declination circle.

The hour circle A is half of a similar card with the hour marks divided into 20 minutes. An index pointer is fastened to the base of the polar axis. A pointer 12 in. long is fastened with a small bolt to the center of the declination circle. A small opening is made in the pointer into which an ordinary needle is inserted. This needle is adjusted to the degree to set the pointer in declination and when set, the pointer is clamped with the bolt at the center. A brass tube having a 1/4-in. hole is fastened to the pointer.

The first thing to do is to get a true N and S meridian mark. This can be approximately obtained by a good compass, and allowance made for the magnetic declination at your own place. Secure a slab of stone or some other solid flat surface, level this and have it firmly fixed facing due south with a line drawn through the center and put the equatorial on the surface with XII on the south end of the line. Then set the pointer D to the declination of the object, say Venus at the date of observation. You now want to know if this planet is east or west of your meridian at the time of observation. The following formula will show how this may be found. To find a celestial object by equatorial: Find the planet Venus May 21, 1881, at 9 hr. 10 min. A. M. Subtract right ascension of planet from the time shown by the clock, thus:

9 hr. 10 min. shows mean siderial. Add 12 hrs

hour

1

12

minute 0

second 0

---

---

---

Right ascension of Venus

Set hour circle to before meridian

13

2

10

10 - 50

0

At 1 hr. 30 min. mean clock shows

5

20

0

Right ascension of Venus

2

10

0_______

Set hour circle to

3

10

0

Books may be found in libraries that will give the right ascension and declination of most of the heavenly bodies. The foregoing tables assume that you have a clock rated to siderial time, but this is not absolutely necessary. If you can obtain the planet's declination on the day of observation and ascertain when it is due south, all you have to do is to set the pointer D by the needle point and note whether Venus has passed your meridian or not and set your hour index. There will be no difficulty in picking up Venus even in bright sunlight when the plant is visible to the naked eye. Home Made Equatorial

Illustration: Home-Made Equatorial