Dictionary of Physics or an Attempt at an Explanation of the Most Important Concepts and Technical Terms of Natural Philosophy

Evening, Evening time, Vespera, Soir. The time at which the sun sets, including the hours before and after the moment of setting.

Evening twilight see Twilight.

West point, Abendpunkt, Westpunkt, Occidens, Occident, Couchant, Ouest. The point of intersection of the equator with the horizon on that side of the sky where the stars set. It is one of the four main or cardinal points through which the four main compass directions are determined on the horizon. See World directions. Sailors call it the west. The entire surrounding region of the sky is called the evening region after it, and one says of that which occurs in this region that it happens toward evening. On the days of the equinoxes (around March 21 and September 21), when the sun stands at the equator, it sets at the west point itself. On the remaining days of the year, the points of the horizon where the sun sets deviate from this true or actual west point, and fall further toward the north original: "Mitternacht" for us in summer, and further toward the south original: "Mittag" in winter. The sun's setting points on the longest and shortest days are furthest removed from the true west point and sometimes carry the names of the summer and winter west point (Occident d’été, Occident d’hiver). For Leipzig, they deviate from the true west point by 39° 35’ 39’’.

Evening star, Hesperus. A byname for Venus when, after its superior conjunction with the sun, it appears on the morning side thereof, and thus is seen in the evening after sunset. See Venus.

Evening amplitude, Amplitudo occidua, Amplitude occase ou occidentale. Plate I. Fig. 1. The evening amplitude OS is the distance of the point S, where a star sets, from the true west point O. This distance is, as the figure shows, an arc of the horizon HR. If it is, as in the figure, from O toward the north...