POSITIONS OF THE STARS

Evening Star, Issue 19778, 31 January 1928, Page 9

POSITIONS OF THE STARS

An outline of the positions of the principal first magnitude stars will be published monthly, the compass positions and altitudes being given, so that any schoolboy should be able to pick up the brighter stars. The scheme will be extended to a number of fainter stars-of special interest, and it is hoped that readers will go out and see the stars for themselves with the aid of this guide. The epochs given will be usually 9 and 10 p.m. on two dates each month, but the same positions will be found an hour earlier in the evening in a fortnight’s time, or two hours earlier a month later. All this will be explained in the notes given. Those who use a compass should remember that in Dunedin and Otago generally it points about lodeg east of true north. Princes and George streets run about the same direction. Queen’s drive, Musselburgh, is a true northsouth line, while Bowen street, Ferguson, ami Grey streets run due cast from it. if a compass is used the north point should be taken two-thirds of the way from N. to N.N.W. Compass directions will lie. given in the usual way. For those who may forget tno smaller divisions, N.N.K. is halfway between N. and N.E., E.N.E. halfway between N.E. and E. Halfway between E.N.E. (for example) and E. will be slated as E.N.Fa by E. Altitudes, measuied from horizon to zenith, are read from Odeg to QOdeg. On February 8, at 12 noon, the local sidereal time at Dunedin is 20hrs, so that at 10 p.m. the sidereal time is films. The same sidereal time falls on February 2d at 9 p.m., and on March 9 at 7 p.m., so that the directions given for February 8 at 10 p.m. will hold good for these fullire epochs. At. 6 hours of sidereal time, February S, 10 p.m., or February 23, 9 p.m., New Zealand summer time, Dunedin, the following stars of the first magnitude are visible;— Pollux, N.N.E., alt . 13deg; Proryon, N.N.E., alt. Oodeg; Sirius, N.N.E., alt, oOdcg; Begnlus, E.N.E. by N., alt. Jldcg; Alpha Crucis, S.S.E. by E., all. dSdog; Alpha Centauri, S.S.E., alt. 24deg; Canopus, S.S.E,, alt. 82dcg; Acliernar, S.W., alt. 49deg; Formalhaut, W.S.W. hy S., alt. Jldog; Aide-, baran, N.N.W., nit. 25deg; Rigel, N.N.W., alt. oldeg; and Botclgucse, N., alt. 3odeg. Some important second magnitude stars arc placed as follow: Alphard or Alpha, Hydrac, E.N.E., alt. 33deg; Gamma Argus, E.S.E. by E., 67deg; Kappa Argus, E.S.E. by S., 68cleg; Gamma Crucis, S. IC., dl'dcg; Epsilon Centauri, S.S.E. hy E., alt. vddeg; Beta Argus, S.S.E. hy E., alt. 57deg; Alpha Triangnli Australis, 5.5. by S v alt. 26deg; Alpha Phvonis, S.S.W,, 23deg; Alpha Grnis, 5.5. by W., alt. 18deg; Beta Gruis, S.W., alt. 22deg; Alpha Phccuicis, W.S.W. by S., alt- d2deg; Theta Eridani, W.S.W. by W.. aft. 77cleg; ani Delta Orionis, N.N.W. by N., alt. 43deg. The Great Nebula in Argo, about Eta Argus, is S.S.W. by W., at an altiturc of 7ddcg, while the Pleiades cluster N.N.W. by W. and 14deg high. On February 8 the planet Jupiter is visible. Jupiter, however is just about to set in the west at 10 p.m., and at 9 p.m. on February 23 be is in much the same position. The above notes will'hold good at 7 p.m. on March 9. The sidereal time six hours is the time when the point of the winter solstice passes due north of us, and the lino from the solstice to the South Pole, which then coincides with the meridian, is called the solstitial colurc. The; place where the sun will appear a t midwinter, then, is due north of us, at an altitude of 21deg at this epoch. On February 8, at 10 p.m., the moon, which is past the full, will be about to rise E.N.E. on the 23rd at 9; she will be a crescent about to set almost due west.