ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR FEBRUARY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 26, 31 January 1913, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR FEBRUARY.

The SUN will be in the Constellation Capricornus till the loth, when h© enters Aquarius. His southern declination is now decreasing, passing from the 17th to the Bth deg. during the month. His altitude during the same interval varies from 67deg. on the Ist to 58deg. on the 28th. A small group of sunspots were observed on the 2nd of January, surrounded by large areas of faculse; but speaking generally the Sun has not yet awakened from his lengthy doze, although we are now well past the time of minimum activity, so styled. The MOON, being new on the 6th, may be looked for. about the Bth of the month, in Capricornus, and close to v Venus on the evening of the 11th, when she will have moved throughi Aquarius. She will be in Pisces on the 11th and 12th; Aries on the 13th Taurus on the 14th, 15th, and 16th, and near the planet Saturn on the morning and evening of the 15th, to the north, when she will be near the groups of the Hyades and PleiadesGemini on the 17th and 18th, and nearest the stars Castor and Pollux (the "Twins") on the-18th; Cancer on the 19th, , and Leo on the following evening. She will pass out of Iteo on the 22nd, after which she will rise late in the evening.

PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand mean time:—

days hrs mm ! New Moon ... 10 4 52 pm ' First Quarter ... 14 8 4 pm Full Moon ...... 21 1 33 p.m. Last Quarter ... 28 8 45 a m Apogee ..; ... 7 7 18 p.m Perigee' 21 11 31 a.m.

MERCURY is an evening star during the latter part of the month in the constellations Capricornus and Aquarius. He will be in conjunction with Uranus on the Ist; with the Moon on the 6th; in greatest heliocentric latitude south on the 11th • in superior conjunction on the 13th, after which he will again emerge into our evening skies. _ VENUS is still the star of the evening in the constellation Pisces, moving eastward amongst the stars. She now appears in the telescope like the moon rather past the first quarter, but will become a true half-sphere at the middle of the month when she will be at her greatest apparent distance from the Sun. She will be seen in company with the Moon on the 11th and 12th.

MARS is a morning star, having a forward movement through Sagittarius and Capricornus. He will be in lunar conjunction on the morning of the 4th; and in conjunction with the planet Uranus on the afternoon of the 26th. \ JUPITJJR is a morning star in the constellation Sagittarius. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the morning of the 3rd, but is not well Placed for the telescopic observer during this month.

SATURN is an evening star in Taurus, almost directly over the pretty cluster of the Pleiades. He has been well observed in the telescope during the last month or so, and well repays a careful scrutiny at this phase. He will.be in conjunction with the Moon on the morning of the 15th, and may be seen near her on the same evenin* to the east. &'

_ URANUS is a morning star in Capricornus. - He will be in lunar conjunction on the sth, and on a meridian at the same time with Mars on the 26th.

NEPTUNE is an evening star on the borders of 'Gemini and Cancer. 3? ?Sl H l n, lunar conjunction on ™ /^To° m £ eg- to the south. to^h C°NSTELLATIONS are placed for the middle of the month at about Sl?"^ as 11 follows: Auriga and the bright Capella nearly due north and nearest the horizon Taurus is to the left of the meridian, and Gemini are to the right. Over tkese may be Tv P Tlon > most. beautiful of constellations containing the wonderful nebula and a host of objects interesting to the possessor of ft. good telesc°Pf + Over Orion is Lepus, and towards the zenith are Canis Major and the brilliant Sirius, brightest of all the stars as seen from this planet Leo _is now rising well above the eastern horizon, and Hydrus, with Crater and l^oryus, are coming up in the with the Southern Cross, is emerging from beneath the South Pole, wh?l! Argo the Ship is high overhead. Eridanus is now with Achernar moving towards the west, and Cetus morS closely approaching the western horizon. p lsce g A and p^ r we s r anng He h°rizOn" in the no*

THE HON. DIRECTOR t Wanganui Observatory January 31, 1913. y