ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR FEBRUARY.

Evening Star, Issue 14786, 30 January 1912, Page 6

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR FEBRUARY.

[Fbom the Hon. DmECToii, Wangaxuj Obsekvatoey.] —The Bun—is in the constellation Capricornus till the 15th, when he enters Aquarius. His southern declination decreases from the 17th to the Bth degree during the month, and his altitude at apparent noon is lessened by the same amount—viz., from 67.3deg on tlie Ist to 58.2deg on the 28th. The Sun is now practically free from spots, but rather fine faenke have been noticed at either limb. —Tb.e Moon — will be near Jupiter on tlie morning of the 12th, Venus on the morning of the 15th, Uranus on the morning of the 16th, Mercury on the evening of the 24th, Saturn on the evening of the 24th, Mars on the evening of the 26th. Her path ! through the constellation visible in our evening skies at about 8 p.m. is as follows :—ln Cancer from the Ist to the 3rd ; Leo on the 4th and sth. She will appear again in Pisces on the 21st and 22nd; Aries on the 23rd and 24th; Taurus on the 25th and 26th: Gemini on the 27th, 28th, and 29th; and Cancer again at the opening of March. —Phases of the Moon—in New Zealand ii'v-.-p. litre : Day*. Hours. Min. Full Moon i ]] 58 a.m. Last quarter 10 J2 21 p.m. I New Mora, 13 5 14 p.m. ■First quarter 26 1 33 a.m. I Perigee 2 1 3o a.m. ! Apogee 14 10 30 p.m. I —Mercury—iis n morning star during ilie month, in j Sagittarius. He will he in aphelion on t the sth; in conjunction with the planet 1 I'ranus on the 7th : in conjunction with | the Moon on the 17th: and in greatest heliocentric latitude south on the 25th. I —Venus— ' is also a morning star during February. : close to the Sun's place. Siie will be in conjunction with the Moon on the morning of ihe 14th; will come into the same right .■<.*< ensioi: with Urcnu-s on the morning" o? tlie 25th. when the two planets will be sopnrated by a little more, than half aderjreo of arc. Venus being to the north. She will be in her descending ne-Io on the 27th. or pawing south of the (-riipiie on that date. -Marsis/.till a prominent object in ovtr evening fikies. in Taurus, and moving forward nortrt of tiie Hyades aid Aldebaran at she end of tlie month. His auaiilar din meter is now shrinking rapidly, ami, :.s a telescopic object, he may lie alinwl . eaintH out—for this opposition his phase is di>t:nct!y zibhous. Ho will be in (onjun-ti'ai with the Moon on. the evening of the 2''th. —Jupiter— is a iwrnin? star in. the const/-''raion Scorpio, r.r-A to' the noMh-east of ih- bright star Ant tires He v ill ho hi . .jij^j-. t:or. with the Moon or: the rnornhr-r.' •• f the 12th. His position is i jo,-.? •■•■■- :' r i> morohvt ohservrr at thi- rioo''. brio: fairly hi«h in the he-avonf.. ;,;- i the -.V !■■■■]' of off: ;,..[ts i-t.anding out <■!■ arlv •••-; suitable e.eear-ious. —Saturn— is well jiiace-rl for 'hi* observer .luring th'i earlier hours of the evetiiii-2. He tn.iv be fen to the west of Mars, .shinincr with a steady, yellowish lichi. His fine ring system is well opened now. and' a fiords a li-vnitifi.il in .a telescope if fair dimensi-ins. IT" nil' be v.: ■>r:ad rat» rrr- with th-- Sun on the 4ih. and in eoninnrtion with t;.<- Mo cm on (he evc-nir.g of the 24th. —Uranus—is now a morning =t-ir i:t Sagittarius. H-3 will be in conjii'i-lio-.i with the Moon or. the \>!erniiiir of the "! ■'->?" >. n-d wit'' V'nns on the morninc of the 25th, "'hen the planet mijht be easily f-oo .1 .-,! r'.o.;< ha'f a /\f>p,.;-.., ,~- r .at'n«r it;-■!■•■» t':a-'. tie Moon's diameter, to the sooth ■ f tlie bright planet. —Neptune—is in Gemini, and an evening star. Hb "ill he in r.rTJTin-.t.ion wi'h tho Moon on tlie 2nd and 29'.h. —The for the ir.iddl-" -if ti'f roonth. at about 8.20 i>m., are pl-ve.' .-.-- follow-:—Tr. the north Taurv.s, v.-ith the Pleiades and Hyades. Aldeharar l .. the bright red eye of ihe ]>:ijl i" ■''•■ hi'V-v rj,T,-;\.. on rj- r . ] r .ft side ».:-..■! Gemir.i on the rirht of the meridian. Anrira and the bright star f'.'.'prdb a>'e !.-:«• rrv:: in the north, with Or : .-'- n-.i'ch b.icrhei' -i-mI I epus over this again, with Te.'.irus and Gemini iifnter tho hi-irlzon. r.irris ''lnior and th.i brilliant Sirius arc fouth of and nearer the. y.onitn. Leo may he seen jit-l- risincj in the noi-th-eas". Hatioer being well tip at this time, and tlie long trailing shape of Hydra (the Watersnake) will be seen extended from noitheaft to south-east. The Centaur is now coming out from under the South Pole, preceded hv the Southern Cross. Argo and the rich portion of the Milky Way are rsorv- well tin in the south-<-.astern sky. Cettis is appronehinc the horizon in the west, followed by Rridanus, n.v.6 Pisces will be seen near the horizon in the northwest, followed by Aries. —Comets,— Brooks's and Queni&set's comets hare been observed here during tho past month. A fairly powerful telescope is now necessary to" ?ee them, and one moment equatorially, enabling the observer tj find it from the ephemeris. I shall be gad to send an ephemeris of either comet to anyone having a telescope and desiring that in forma tioa.