THE PLANET SATURN

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 48, 25 February 1921, Page 8

THE PLANET SATURN

; The planet Saturn is a very interesting object in the telescope at present. This planet revolves round the sun in about i29i years, so that twice in that /period, :about'-ever}' 15. years, tho ring plane of ,Saturn "appears edge-on to tho earth. At iabout this timo the plane of the rings ipassca through the sun, so that tho sun is then shining on the.edge of the rings, and they are not visible. About 22nd February the Garth crossed tho plane of Saturn's Tings from, the north to the. south, and tho sun was then also slightly to the «outh of th« plane of the rings. On 9th April tho sun crosses tho plane of the rings,from the south-to the north, and between these dates the rings are visible. Jixcellent views were obtained of Saturn at tho Kelburn Observatory on Wednesday a-nd Thursday evenings, the rings being faintly discernible on Wednesday and distinctly more so on.Thursday. lii order to afford opportunities to the public of seeing this somewhat rare phenomenon, the Observatory will be open every Tuesday evening at 7;30, provided, of course, that tho weather is suitable. By arrangement with the Kelburn Tramway Company, special Observatory tickets are obtainable on these evenings. The view of the planet was somewhat interfered with on Wednesday and Thursday owing to the proximity of the bright moon, but on Tuesday next the moon will be right out of tho way.