ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 21786, 31 July 1934, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

THE SKIES IN AUGUST [Written by A. G. C. Crust, M.Sc., for the ‘ Evening Star.’] POSITIONS OF THE STARS Local Sidereal Time, 18h, Latitude 4Cdeg S. Tile following star positions bold good locally four minutes earlier each evening, as at 9.30 p.m. on August 2, 5.30 p.m. on August 17, and V. 30 p.m. on September 1. The brilliant Canopus now sparkles eight degrees above the southern horizon. while Alpha Crucis is placed S.W. by S., 43cleg., and Alpha Centauri S.W. by W., 58deg. Spica lies W., 22deg, and Autares in the Scorpion is now the highest bright star, N.W., 63deg. Arcturus is N.W. by W., Gdeg, and due north shines Vega, 4deg above the horizon. Altair is N.E. by N,, 30deg, Fqmalhaut E. by S., 37deg, and Acherna'r S.E. by S., 27deg. The Moon will be at last quarter on the evening of August 2, and on the Bth will pass the planet Mars in the morning, Venus in the forenoon. On the forenoon of the 9th our satellite will pass Mercury. At New Moon, which occurs on the evening of the 10th the moon will cause an annular celipse of the sun, the track of which will cross Rhodesia and the Portuguese territories of South Africa. Haviijg entered the evening sky, the moon will pass the planet Jupiter early on the 16th, the star Spica the same forenoon, and at 8.30 p.m. on the 17th will be placed W.N.W., 49deg, first occurring on the afternoon of the 18th. On the afternoon of the 19th the moon will pass close to the star Antares, and at 8.10 p.m. on the 22nd will be placed N.E. by E., 53deg. On the evening of the 24th the moon will pass the planet Saturn, full moon will occur on the forenoon of the 25th, and our satellite will pass 26deg north of the star Fomalliaut early on the 26th. The planet Mercury will be in the morning sky during the greater part of the month,, a conjunction with Mars, the other reddish planet, on the forenoon of August 3. Mercury will be in superior conjunction with the sun;on August 26, and on the afternoon of the 31st will be conjunction with the planet Neptune. As both planets are so near the sun this event is hardly likely to be of any observational interest. The planets Venus and Mars still continue to pursue, their uneventful courses in the morning sky. The bright planet Jupiter is still visible at 18b S.T., his position during the month at this epoch being W., 23deg to 27deg. The superior conjunctions of his satellites occur as follows:

10, first August 1.03.35,' eighteenth, August 31.06.01; Europa, first, August 3.12.44, ninth, August 31.23.38; Ganymede, first August 0.12.42, fourth, August 28.02.32; and Callisto, August 2.21.12 and August 19.17.36. Ganymede will reach west elongation on Saturdays, and east elongation on Wednesdays. Callisto will be at west elongation on the 14th and 31st, and at east elongation-on the 6th and 22nd. The planet Saturn is now well placed for observation, his position at 18h S.T. being J'l. by N., 33deg. Saturn will bo in opposition to, the sun on August 26, and his largest satellite, Titan, will be at east elongation on the mornings of August 6 and 22. K ... ; . . ■■■ - ..... While Saturn, is in rather an uninteresting part of the sky as far as important stars are concerned, Jupiter, in Virgo, traverses a much more interesting region. About August 5 he will pass only o.6deg. to the south of the fourth magnitude star Theta Virginia, and August 30 will find him 3.4 deg north of the bright star Spica. From the corner of the Queen’s Drive, Musselburgh, and the Anderson’s Bay road, Canopus may be observed very low in the direction taken by the drive, and Vega very low in the opposite direction, while Autares is high in the direction taken by the Bay' road (tpwnwards), and Spica and Jupiter appear rather low in the direction opposite to that taken by Grey street! Observations must, of course, be made at 18h sidereal time. ASTRONOMY AND PEACE “ Why should we not all live in peace and harmony ? We look up at the same stars, we ato fellow-passengers on the same planet, and dwell beneath the same sky.” These were the words of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus; they have come down to us from an age in which religious differences were exciting the minds of people as perhaps they never will again, but they might well be the words of a modern astronomer, emphasising as they do the great truth of the essential unity of humanity, symbolised by our position in the astronomical universe. The attitude of astronomy to peace and war, even from rather a selfish point of view, is decidedly in favour of peace. The sciences can he pursued to some extent in a divided world; some have even been stimulated in certain countries by a war —e.g., meteorology in Norway. Yet, on tho whole such stimulation of scientific activity must be regarded rather as an example of the urge of adversity or at least necessity. The true progress of all science requires the friendly co-operation of tho whole world, and astronomy perhaps more so than others. The Great War' in particular hindered astronomical research owing to the diversion of astronomers to various scientific tasks of military o. naval importance, the interruption of communications, and the isolation of Germany, a nation that has always taken a prominent part in international scientific undertakings.

Even amateur astronomy is liable to suffer in war time from temporary restrictions, and in some parts of South America the observatories have been unable to perform tbeir tasks in connection with the great international photographic chart of the heavens owing to local revolutions, in some of which the observatory buildings themselves were attacked, contrary to the alleged rules of warfare. Of course, there are States, such as Czechoslovakia and Poland, which owe their freedom to the Great War, and which are witnessing a wonderful blossoming of all scientific activity in their new age of freedom.

We have sketched the relation of peace to the advarcemeut of astronomy, nd it seems plain enough that astronomers should desire peace in the interests of progress. In addition, though, there are far deeper reasons, which perhaps justify the student of the stars in making some pronouncement on this serious subject of international peace. Science has set herself the task of bringing all phenomena of Nature, as understood by us, under the control of a limited number of simple laws, by the knowledge of which we may both understand the past and predict future developments. Now, as far as we- have progressed in any science, starting from the principle of causality, which is the cardinal article of faith for both science and common sense, we have found that the laws of Nature are incontestable, unchangeable, and admit of no exceptions. Apparent exceptions are due solely to our imperfect knowledge of a given law. If we state any law in its perfect form, an ideal to which astronomy has approached more closely than has any other science, we find that there is ho possible avoidance of its provisions, no possibility of disobedience! This is a startling departure from ordinary popular and religious concepts. There are, for example, biological laws by which we may choose the way of life or the path to disease and death, and astronomy has laws of motion which apply equally well to giant stars, planets, cricket balls, and atoms.

Now, here is a question of deep'consequence. Are moral laws, such as the. Ten Commandments c. - “Thou slialt love thy neighbour as Uiyself ” really only portions of some 'such series of natural laws ? They may well be special cases of a great law by which more or less civilised societies endure, provided that they take advantage of its constructive aspect. The laws with which we are all’' more or ,less. familiar offer us a penalty for what is regarded as disobedience, ami perhaps a reward for compliance, and they could not be valid otherwise. Scientific laws also are valid in this respect where they concern living beings or communities; but we have also every reason to believe that, just as the inanimate matter of the- universe cannot for an instant evade the operation of the laws of motion, though it cannot have the choice of obedience or disobedience, the individual, or community is quite as powerless to resist the scientific laws — i.e., the biological or sociological laws that govern its existence. We should, though, try to make tho best of our position, either as individuals or as nations, and make these laws the servants of our progress instead of tho punishment of our wilfulness. If such a law as “Thou'shalt not kill ” is part of such a great generalisation, it leads us to a vex. enlightened concept of our relation to the whole question of killing, and , tends strongly to suggest that killing under any circumstances will bring unavoidable hnd very unpleasant consequences. Therefore,' if we admit this generalisation, war, persecution, and unnecessary economic privation must be regarded plainly as murder, from the consequences of which the guilty cannot escape. Such an extension of the, Commandments seems to be supported by the greatest and most enlightened of religious teachers, as well as by the stern experiences recorded in human history.

Probably much could be done to-, further the cause of peace by a more rational and philosophical teaching of both history and science in the world’s schools. Why is it that in a country like Germany a Government is allowed to repeat the worst blunders of the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Roman Emperors, and the Inquisition? Have they learned nothing from history, not even enough to teach them enlightened selfishness? They are clever enough to find now names for their political parties, but not clever enough to make original mistakes. There are such things as natural laws which remain in operation while all material things pass away. They are the only permanent realities known to science. The astronomer and his colleagues of other sciences, reed never fear to face the world with these objective truths, which are independent of men’s desires or prejudices, and which people of all classes and the mightiest nations and Governments ignore at their own peril. There are laws of history to which a dozen ruined civilisations bear witness, and they are as potent to make or break us too. The laws of Nature and tho laws of history do not always agree with what people either prefer or pretend to believe, hut if the masses and their, leaders were trained in habits of rational thought, as all must be trained who would win success in science, or even properly appreciate its marvels,' wo should soon have a basis of unprejudiced knowledge on which to build a lasting understanding and an enduring peace. We do not suggest that science and history alone are needed. Let us sit at the feet of all the muses, of all the world’s teachers, let us build from the best material in art, science, and religion, for nothing is too good for the heroes who would conquer the foolish fears that engender war!