The Fixed Star Of The Place

Recently I read “De fixis stellis commentarius” (The Commentary On Fixed Stars) by Johannes Stadius.

Johannes Stadius (1527 – 1579) was a Dutch (his Dutch name was Jan Van Ostaeyen) from Belgium (Flemish). He was astronomer, astrologer, historian and mathematician. Stadius lived in Turin, Cologne, Brussels and Paris. He worked as professor of mathematics in the University of Leuven, and also he worked as a mathematician for the Duke of Savoy.

Along with common astronomical and astrological information about the most famous fixed stars, this text contains some rare and interesting details for astrological gourmets. One of them is the fixed star of the place.

Stadius says that there are fixed stars having special power over this or that place of the Earth. For example, over this or that city. Such star gives some description of the qualities of the city. This star called the star of the place.

The star of the place is the star which, during its daily motion (i.e. with daily rotation of the celestial sphere), touches the horizon, but doesn’t cross it. It can be identified easily having the latitude of the city and the declinations of the fixed stars. The calculation is very easy:
First, we have to subtract the geographical latitude of the city (no matter northern or southern, just the absolute value) from 90 degrees. Then we have to find a fixed star having the same declination (again, no matter northern or southern) as the result of the subtraction.
For example:
The latitude of London is 51n30.
90° – 51°30′ = 38°30′
The fixed star Vega (α Lyrae) has declination 38n28, therefore Vega is the star of London.

The star of Moscow is Phakt (α Columbi). It is the main star of the constellation Columbus (the Dove). This constellation symbolizes the dove sent by Noah from his ark, and the dove returned with an olive leaf in the beak. The name of the star is descended from Arabic Al-Fakhita, the dove.

What about present adversary of Moscow, i.e. Washington, DC? The star of Washington is Eltanin (α Draconis). The Dove against the Dragon. The heavens know which empire is the empire of the evil
According to Hellenistic authors, this dragon is the dragon watched over the golden apples in the garden of Hesperides. The name Hesperides is derived from Greek `εσπέρα, which means the West. It is a quite amusing symbolism, isn’t it?
Heracles killed the dragon and took away the golden apples. Well, the main star of the constellation of Hercules is Ras Algethi (α Herculis). Its declination is 14n23. Therefore the place of this star must have geographical latitude 75°37′. Obviously, it is not Baghdad, nor Teheran

Though this tool can bring some fun for us, it still has some confusing things. It is obviously that all cities with the same geographical latitude have the same star. For example, Paris and Prague, they have the same star, and this star is Algol.

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