CULMINATION

, the passage of a star or planet over the meridian, or that point of its orbit which it is in at its greatest altitude. Hence a star is said to culminate, when it passes the meridian.

To find the time of a Star's culminating. Estimate the time nearly; and find the right ascension both of the sun and star corrected for this estimated time; then the disference between these right ascensions, converted into solar time, at the rate of 15 degrees to the hour, gives the time of southing. See an example of this calculation every year in White's Ephemeris, pa. 45.