ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE, 1920

Evening Star, Issue 17367, 1 June 1920, Page 8

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE, 1920

[By Hon. Director Wanganui Observatory.] —The Sunis in tl.e constellation Taurus till the 20th, v.luu lie enters Gemini. His northern declination increases till the morning ■of the 22nd, when ho reaches his northern eolstioo, at which time we have our shortest day in tho Southern Hemisphere. Sunepots have fallen off greatly during the last month, there being little sign of activity of this nature visible. —The Moon—will be nearest Venus on the evening of the 16th, Mercury on the evening of the 18th, Jupiter on tho evening of the 20th, Saturn on the evenings of the 21st and 22nd, Mars on the evening of the 25th, and making a close appror.ch to the ruddy planet at 3h 13min of the same afternoon. Her path through the constellations visible in our early evening skies is as follows : —Full moon at the beginning of the month ; she is seen again as a crescent in the western skies shortly after sunset on the 19th and 20th in "Cancer and Leo, and in the latter constellation till the 22nd; in Virgo on the 23rd till the 26th, and nearest the bright star Spica on the 25th; Libra on the 27th; Scorpio on the 28th; Ophiuchus on the 29th; Sagittarius till the end of the month. —Phases of the Moonfin Now Zealand mean time), d. hj. £. Full moon _ 2 4 48 a.m. Last quarter 10 6 28 a.m. New moon 'l7 1 11 a.m. First quarter 23 6 19 p.m. Apogee 4 4 0 p.m. Perigee 17 2 42 a.m. Apogee _ 30 6 30 p.m. —Mercury—is an evening star during the month. He is in lunar conjunction on the evening of the 18th, and is at his greatest eastern elongation on the last of the month, when his place in the sky is 25.8deg from that of the Sun's. —Venus—is a morning star during tho month, moving through part of Taurus and through Gemini during this period. She will be in lunar conjunction on the evening of the 16th; in her ascending node on the 19th. —Mars—is an evening star in Virgo and cloeo to the bright star Spica in the beginning of the month. He is stationary amongst the star 3 on the 2nd. after which he moves towards the east, night by night, during the rest of the month. He is in lunar conjunction on the afternoon of the 25th, and will be seen close to our satellite at nightfall. —Jupiter—is an evening star during the month, moving forward in Leo. He is in lunar conjunction on the 20th. He is now approaching the Sun's place in 'the heavens, and the would-be observer must tackle him early in the evening before he gets into tho dense atmospheric laver near the horizon. The observer who would see the more linteresting eclipses, transits, and occultations of his .satellites should note the evenings civen below—viz., the 2nd, 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 27th. —Saturn— is an evening star throughout the month, in Leo. His ring system is still..a most interesting object, although steadily dosing up into the piano of vision. He is in lunar conjunction on_ the 22nd. —'Uranus—is an evening star during the month, moving forward in Aquarius. He is in lunar conjunction on the 9th, and is stationary amongst the stars on the 11th. —Xeptune—is an evening star during the month, in Cancer. Ho is in his ascending node on the 3rd, and in lunar conjunction on the morning or" the 20th. —The Constellations—for the month aro placed as stated, and may bo seen similarly placed an hour later for the beginning and an hour earlier for the end o; the month. On the loth, at about 8 p.m., we find Bootes on the northern meridian, with the fine star Arcturus nearer the horizon. To the east of Bootes is the Northern Crown and Hercules, while CoiWi Berenices and Virgo are to the west, the fine star Spica being especially noticeable. At a greater elevation is Libra and Scorpio, the fine red star Antares- claiming the attention as the lucida of the latter constellation. Serpens and Ophiuchus are under the Scorpion. Sagittarius and Capricornus arc under the Scorpion south of east. Grus is just rising clear of the horizon towards the south. Aqnila is rising over the east. The Toucan, Indue, Pavo, and other small southern constellations are to the east, the Clouds of Magellan, with Doradus and others, to the west of the southern meridian. Achernar nearly due south, low down, and. Arco, with the Cross and Pointers, over the Ship, are well oyer in the western sky. Canis Major is setting in the west, "with Leo Tather more to the north.