Note 466 — SECOND PART. The Astronomy of Dante. (continued 3)

“We must not assume, as some commentators have done, that the signs rise at equal intervals of two hours, although each circles the star sphere in 24 hours. See fig. 46, where the dotted line shows how e.g. Cancer, circling parallel with the celestial equator, will rise at a point considerably north of east, and having had to traverse more than 90 degrees since Aries rose due east, will not rise until about 7 hours later, i.e. 1 p.m. Conversely Scorpio, following Libra, will rise south of east, and a little less than 2 hours later. The moon’s retardation, therefore, is less in this part of the zodiac than it would otherwise be, and the hour is probably nearer eight than nine.”