ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR AUGUST, 1922

Evening Star, Issue 18034, 31 July 1922, Page 4

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR AUGUST, 1922

[By the Hon. Director Wanganui Observatory.] —The Sun—is in tho constellation Cancer till the 9th, when he enters Leo. His northern declination is decreasing day by day during the month, and his altitude at noon will, increase by 9dog during the same period. A fairly lino epot, with a train of smaller ones, was observed passing across the Sun’s surface during the latter part of the month, giving indications of a resumption of another period of activity.

—The Moon—will be nearest Mars on the evenings of the 2nd and 3rd ; Uranus, on the evening of the 10th j Mercury, on the 24th-; Saturn, on the evening of the 24th; Venus, on the evening of the 26th; Jupiter, on the same evening, upon which date, if the shy is clear, a most interesting conjunction will take place durum daylight between the Moon and Jupiter ; hut on the evenings of the 25th and 2oth, in a clear sky, a very beautiful grouping of all the bright planets and the Moon may be seen. Lovers of beautiful planetary groupings with tho Moon should not miss this fine appearance. Mars will bo in lunar conjunction, though at a very considerable distance, on tho last day of the month. Her path through the tions visible in our early evening, skies ; is, as follows:—On M the Ist;-in"Libra; Bcor-i pio on the 2nd, and nearest the fine red: star Antares on that date; Ophiuchus, on tho 3rd; Sagittarius, on tho 4th, sth, and 6th; Oapricornus, on the 7th and Bth Aquarius, on the 9th and 10th; Pisces, on tho lith, 12th, and 15th; Aries, on the 14th, when she rises late in the even-; ing. She will appear again, as a crescent, in°tlie western- sky, in Virgo, on the 26th and 27th ; in Libra, on the 28th; Scorpio, on the 29th; and Ophiuchus at the end of the month. —Phases of the Moon in New Zealand , Mean Time.— Pull moon ... ... Last quarter 16d 8h 16m a.m. New moon 23d 8h 4m a.m. First quarter 29d11h 25m p.m. Apogee ... ... Hd 8h 24m p.m. Perigee 24d 7h 12m p.m. —Mercury—is an evening star after the 6th, before which he sets just before or with tho Sun. Ho is in superior conjunction on the 6th, in conjunction with the planet Neptune on the Bth, in conjunction with the Moon on the 24th, and in his descend-, ing node on the last day of the month. —Venus—is an evening star during the month, passing through the constellation Virgo. She wSI bo in her descending node on the 13th, in conjunction with Saturn on the morning of tho 16th, and near him on this and preceding evenings; in lunar conjunction on the 26th, and- in conjunction with the planet Jupiter'on the evening of the 27thl She is. a brilliant object in our western skies at this time, and, in company with the other bright planets, makes a most attractive spectacle for all those who have the habit of noting the changes which take place in the evening sky. —Mars—is a fine object in Scorpio, and visible throughout the, night. His surface markings will well repay tho possessor of a good telescope for any time bestowed upon a careful delineation of his surface markings. Ho will be in lunar conjunction on the 3rd, and- again on the last day of the month. —Jupiter—ie an evening star during tho month. Ho is in conjunction with the planet Venus on tho 27th, and with the Moon on the same date. The best evenings for observing tho motions of his satellites, if fine, are the 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 3.lth, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 28th. —Saturn—is an evening star throughout the month in the constellation Virgo. He will bo in conjunction with the planet Venus on the morning of the 7th, in lunar conjunction on the evening of the 25th. —Uranus—is a evening star during the month, in the constellation Aquarius. He _ will ho in lunar conjunction on the evening of tho 10th. —Neptune—is an evening star til! tho 9 111, on which date he is in solar conjunction, after which he will pass over the sky in advance of tho Sun. Ho will be in lunar conjunction on tho evening of the 22nd. —The Constellations, — may ha seen as given below, at 9 on the Ist, 8 on the 15th, and 7 on .the evening of tho 30th. Looking north, we see Hercules on the west and Lyra on the east, of the northern meridian; low down, Bootes, with the brilliant Arcturas, is setting m the north-west, and Oygnus rising in the southeast, with Aquila over the Swan. Looking east, we see the preceding portion of Pegasus and- Aquarius, Oapricornus, and Sagittarius reaching from horizon' to near the zenith. Cetus is just rising in the south of east, and Phoenix over the southeast, with the bright star Aohernar under tho Toucan. Gras and Indus are in the eastern quarter of the southern sky, with the two Clouds of Magellan. Canopus is nearly due south, with the rest of ■ Argo low down in tho south west. The Southern Gross is declining well down in the samft quarter, followed by the Pointers, Alpha and Beta Centauri. Virgo is near the horizon. in . the west, v with Libra "and, the Scorpion, higher, in order given, Serpens and Ophluohus ever Horcnlea,