वेदों की प्राचीनता एवं काल-निर्णय / ओरायन (लोकमान्य बाल गंगाधर तिलक - खगोलीय वैदिक शोध)

THE ARCTIC REGIONS. • 59 II. The Circum-Polar Characteristics. (1) The sun will always be to the south of the zenith of the observer; but as this. happens even in the case of an observer stationed in the temperate zone, it cannot be regarded as a special characteristic. (2) A large number of stars are circum-polar, that is, they are above the horizon during the entire period of their revolution and hence always visible. The remaining stars rise and set, as in the temperate zone, but revolve in more oblique circles. (3) The year is made up of three parts:—(i) one long continuous night, occurring at the time of the winter solstice, and lasting for a period, greater than 24 hours and less than six months, according to the latitude of the place; (ii) one long continuous day to match, occurring at the time of the summer solstice; and (iii) a succession of ordinary days and nights during the rest of the year, a nycthemeron, or a day and a night together, never exceeding a period of 24 hours. The day, after the long continuous night, is at first shorter than the night, but it goes on increasing until it de- velopes into the long continuous day. At the end of the long day, the night is, at first, shorter than the day, but, in its turn, it begins to gain over the day, until the commencement of the long continuous night, with which the year ends. (4) The dawn, at the close of the long continuous night, lasts for several days, but its duration and magnificence is proportional- ly less than at the North Pole, according to the latitude of the place. For places, within a few degrees of the North Pole, the phenomenon of revolving morning light will still be observable during the greater part of the duration of the dawn. The other dawns, viz., those between ordinary days and nights, will, like the dawns in the temperate zone, only last for a few hours. The sun, when he is above the horizon during the continuous day,