ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR MAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 101, 1 May 1914, Page 6

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR MAY.

THE SUN is in the constellation Aries till the . 15th, when he passes into Taurus. His declination is now to the north, and increases by rather1 | more than 7 degrees during the I month, liis altitude decreasing at Jtiocm by the same amount during this period. SUN-SPOTS.—The very fine group of jspoto which developed so rapidly at tlie beginning of April presented a very fine appearance as they passed across the disc. "' When nearing the edge- on the 11th and 12th, very marked changes were in progress; bat the maximum phase of activity appeared to have been reached about the 9th. An interesting group of small spots covering an area, of about 60 by 25 thousand miles broke out suddenly in north latitude, and near the centre of the disc, on the 26ttli. There is every indication that a new period of solar activity has now set in, . . THE MOON, in, her monthly circuit of the heavens, comes into the vicinity of the planets and some of the brighter stars, and serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will be neair Mare on the evening of the 2nd: Jupiter on the morning of the 17th; Mercury on the 26th; Saturnn on the same date; Venus on the 27thj in the evening, aiid Mars again on: the last day of the month. Sho may be seen passing through the constellations visible in our evening skies as follows-:—ln Gemini on the Ist, and nearest the bright stars Castor and Pollux on that date; Oahoer on the 2nd and 3rd; Leo on the 4th, sth, and 6th, «.nd nearest the blight star Regulns on the- 4th; Virgo on the 7th., Bth, and 9th, and nearest the fine star Spica on the Bth; Libra on the 10th ; Scorpio on the 11th and 12th,. and i nearest the line red star Antaros on the 11th; Sagittarius on the 13th and tin* 14th; and Capricornus on the j ltoh and 16th," after 'which, she rises j late in the evening. ] PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand mean time: — '.First Quarter ... 3d. sh. 59m. p.m. Full Moon lOd. 9h. Im. a.m. Last Quarter ... 17d. 9h. 42m. a.m. New Moon 2od. 2h. sm. p.m. Perigee 9d. 7h. 12m. a.m. Apogee ' 21d. 3h. 42m. p.m. MERCURY is a .roornirg star during the first half of the monith, goes into the Sun's rays on the 17th, ■and emerges as an evening star,' as which lie passes the romai'ider. of the month. He is in perihelion on the 21st, in lunar conjunction on the 2fit!i. mid in greatest heliooe:>t:nc N. latitude on the last day of the month. VENUS is an evening star during tho month. She may be picked up near the place of the setting sun at the beginning of the month, and will draw away well towards the west during the month. She will be in conjunction with Saturn on the morn- j ing of the 17th; in lunar conjunction • on the evening of the 27th, and in ' ■perihelion on tho following day. MARS is an evening star during

the month, moving rapidly from the ' constellatioii Gemini, through Cancer, j He will be found in lunar conjunction on the evenings; of the 2nd ami 31st, j Mars being ovei* the Moon in eacli : case. • ■ ■ ( JUPITER1 is a morning sstarr r at I the beginning of the month, but rises ■ befoiie midnight as the month advances. He will be found in lunar conjunction on the IJth, and will be in quadrature, or situated upon the* j face of the heavens at an angular ; distance of 90 degrees a^ the same1 time. SATURN is an evening star j throughout the month, but rapidly" approaching the Sun's pla>ce, with which he wiU be in conjunction at the beginning of June. He will be in /conjunction with Venus on the 17th, and in lunar conjunction on the evening of the 27th.. URANUS is an evening star in Capricornusi during the month. He is in. quadrature on the 3rd, in lunar conjunction on the 16th, and stationary aomngst the stars on the 17th. NEPTUNE is, >also, an evening star throughout the month on the borders of Gemini and Cancer. He will be in lunaa* conjunction on the 2nd and "THE CONSTELLATIONS visißle in our evening skies, during the middle of the month, are as follows: In1 the north, nearest the horizon, Leo Minor and Canes Yen on either side of the meridian; Leo and Coma Berenices higher, and Virgo over the latter, with Hydra reaching over.the higher position, witlh Corvas and, Crater close by underneath. Bootes and the fine star Arcturus- is in the' north-east, with Serpens, Gephiuohus,. iand Libra, away to the east. South of east may be seen1 the Scorpion, followed, by Sagittarius, with the Centaur high overhead. The Southern Cross and the Pointers, Alpha, and Beta Centauri are now near their j highest point in the southern sky, over the Pole : Achernar in Eridanus is now reaching the horizon slightly west of south, the Toucan being on the southern meridian. Pavo and1 Hydrus are over Toucan on either side. Caniis Major and the brilliant Sirius are getting down towards their setting in t3ie west, witlt Argo and the fin© star Canopus over him. Cancer and Canis Minor, with the bright star Pfoeyon are aipproaohing the horizon in the north-west. THE HON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Observatory. Wanganui, April 30th, 1914.