Uranus at opposition

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32880, 1 April 1972, Page 5

Uranus at opposition

The distant planet Uranus comes to opposition on April 6. With a magnitude of 5.5 it is then bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. In a telescope its greenish small disc will be found slightly due west of the double star, Theta Virginis. The end of April will be a good time for early risers to see Mercury at its most favourable western elongation for our latitudes this year. It will be close to the border separating the constellations Pisces and Cetus. As its magnitude will be 0.7 it will far outshine all the stars in this part of the sky. Mercury will rise at 5.12 a.m. on April 15 and at 4.55 a.m. on April 30. Three other bright planets, Venus, Mars and Saturn, are clustered in the north western sky, well north of the celestial equator. To see them well a clear horizon to the north-west is essential. On April 1 at 7 p.m. Mars will be three degrees north of Saturn, Venus being a little further to the north-

west. All three will be in the constellation Taurus. Throughout the month Venus and Mars will move across a wide arc of the sky, shifting even further north whilst Saturn will move much more slowly relative to the stars. It will be interesting to watch, from night to night, these movements. On April 17 Venus will lie very close to the young Moon with Mars three degrees south of the Moon. This grouping will make a pretty naked-eye sight in the northwestern sky just after sunset. Venus sets at 8 p.m. on April 1; at 7.45 p.m. on April 15 and at 7.30 p.m. on April 30. It will be at its greatest elongation east on April 8 but will continue to increase in brightness throughout April. Mars sets at 8.30 p.m. on April 1; at 8.05 p.m. on April 15 and at 7.40 p.m. on April 30. Saturn sets at 8.40 p.m. on April 1; at 7.50 p.m. on April 15 and at 7 p.m. on April 30. An eighth magnitude star will be very close to Saturn at 6.38 pjn. on April 20. From northern parts of the Pacific this star will

be occulted by Saturn’s rings. Jupiter, in the constellation Sagittarius, will be in a most favourable viewing position. It rises at 10.45 p.m. on April 1, at 9.50 p.m. on April 15 and at 8.55 p.m. on April 30. The Minor Planet, Juno, comes to opposition on April 1, when its magnitude will be 9.3. At that time it will be just south of the third magnitude star, Delta Virginis. With a telescope it will be possible to see it moving against the background of stars night to night.