ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR DECEMBER, 1922

Evening Star, Issue 18141, 4 December 1922, Page 9

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR DECEMBER, 1922

[By THE Hon. Director Wanganui Observatory.] -The Sunis in the constellation Scotpm rill the 20th, when ho enter? Sagittarius. Hi? southern declination increases till the afternoon of t-ho 23rd, when wo in tho ■Southern Hemisphere have our summer solstice. Sunspots lliavo been, in evidence during tho past month, a. spot of considerable size passing with tho solar rotation during the earlier portion of the month. —The Aloon—will bo nearest Neptune on. the early morning of the 10th, Saturn on, the morning of the 14-th, Jupiter on, the evening of the 15th, Venus on the 16th, Mercury on the afternoon of tho 19th, Mars on. the evening of tho 24th, Uranus on tho same evening a little later. Her path through tho constellations, visiblo in our early evening skies, is as follows:—Near the full and in the constellation Aries on the Ist and 2nd; in Taurus on tho 3rd, 4th, and sth; and nearest tho fine red star Aldcbar'an on tho 4th; Gemini on 6th and 7th, after which her rising is later in tho evening. She will bo visiblo again as a crescent in the south-west on the 22nd, in Copricornus; in Aquarius on the 23rd and 24th; Pisces on the 25th, 25th, and 27th; Aries on the 28th, and 29th; Taurus on the 50th and 31st, and again at her nearest to Aldebaran late in tho night of the latter date. —Phases of the Moon in New Zealand Moan Time.—

—Alercury—i; a morning star at tho beginning of tho month moving forward in Scorpio. Ho passes into the Sim’s rays and becomes invisible on the 7th, in superior conjimction from which be emerges a few days later as an evening star, climbing tho western heavens night by night till he is at greatest elongation from tho Sun on tho 13th of January. He will be in aphelion on tho Bth, and in lunar conjunction on tho evening of the 19th.

—Venufr—is a morning start during the month, slowly retrograding in Scorpio. She will be in her ascending node on the 4lh; stationary amongst the stars on tho_ morning of tlie 15th, in lunar conjunction on the evening of tho 16th. and at greatest brilliancy weal of tho Sun on the last day of tho month, about which time she may bo seen in tho sky in full daylight. Those wishing to pick up her bright linage should look at about 65deg of altitude and due north at about 9 a.m, —Marais an evening star during the month, moving forward in Aquarius. Ho will bo in conjunction with tho Moon on tho evening' of the 24th, and will make a, very dose conjunction with the planet Uranus on the night of the 25th, at 0.54, when all possessors of fairly-powerfnl telescopes should make -a point, of observing this interesting phenomenon. —Jupiter—is a morning star during the month, moving forward in Libra. Ho will be in lunar conjunction on the. evening of the 15th. This fine planet has drawn well away from the Sun, and good views can bo obtained in a powerful telescope by iho observer who rises in the early morning hours. —Saturn—is also a morning star during December, moving forward m Virgo. He will be in lunar conjunction on the morning of tho 14th., at 5h 15min, when a close approach will bo apparent. —Uranus—is a.n evening star during December, moving forward in Aquarius. Ho will be in quadrature on the 3rd, or 90deg from the Sun’s place at that time. .Ho will bo in lunar conjunction on the evening of tho and in conjunction with Mars on the following evening. —Neptune—is a morning stair in Leo, moving towards the east. Ho will bo in lunar conjunction in tho early morning of tho 10th. —The Constellations visible in our early evening skies during December are placed as follows for tho 15th., at about 0 p.m., or an honr later

at the beginning and an'hour earlier at the end of tlho moiitlr. To the north, and nearest the horizon, is Andromeda, and Perseus east and west of the meridian. Over those may bo seen Aries and the Northern Triangle; while above those again are Pistes and Cofcns. Taurus is conspicuous by the flue groups of Pleiades and Hyades, the latter containing the fine red star Alde.barau. Gemini and Cams .Minor are rising in the cast, and over these may bo seen Orion, Lepus, and Canis Major, the latter containing the fine star Sirius, the Great Dog Star of the Egyptians, and the brightest of all the stellar host as seen from this planet. Over Orion and his brilliant stars, towards a point in the south-west, is Eridanus, the winding river of the ancients, with the brilliant Achernar at its western boundary. Argo Mavis is well up in the south-east at this 'time, the fine star Canopus of that constellation having a good altitude at sunset. Tlie Southern Cross Dias now passed its lower passage under the South Pole of the heavens, and is once again rising in the eastern sky, followed by the Pointers, Alpha and .Beta of the Centaur. The Southern Triangle and the Clouds of Magellan are high up, the latter over the Polo with Hydros and the Toucan. The ecliptical constellations Sagittarius, Capricornus, and Aquarius may be seen, in the west in the order stated, while the Great Square of Pegasus is nearing its setting in the north-west. November 30, 1922.

Summer time is hay fever time, You won’t bo troubled this summer if you keep «NAZOL ” handy. Is 6d buys 60 doses.— [Aclvt.] An American reading: “Thirsty days bath September, April, June, and November. All the rest are thirsty, too—unless veil make vouv own homo brow."

Wife (to highly ‘nervous and superstitious cricketerj: “You must make a'good breakfast this morning, dear; I’ve got you a couple of duck’s eggs!’’

Days. Hrs. Min. Full Moon ... 4 10 54 p.m. Last quarter ... 12 4 11 a.m. New Moon ... 18 11 50 p.m. First quarter ... 26 5 23 p.m. Perigee 15 3 60 a.in. Apogee ... 2.1 3 36 a.m