ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JULY

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 154, 2 July 1917, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JULY

The SUN is in the constellation Gemini till the 2l)th, when he enters Cancer. His northern declination reached its culmination on the 22nd of June; it is again slowly on the decrease, passing from 23.2 deg. on the Ist to 18.5 on the 31st, which means tha. the sun stands higher on the meridian by nearly ten times his own diameter on the latter date than he does on the former.

EOMPSE.—There will be a partial eclipse on the 19th, which will not be seen, however, in New Zealand. Sunspots have been plentiful during June, .hero being fiye or six centres of active eruption visible at almost any time the sun was observed. At the lime of writing there are six areas visible.

Tho 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 in Libra on the Ist of the month, and will move into Scorpio on the same date. She will be in Scorpio on the 2nd; Ophinchus on the 3rd: Sagittarius on tho 4th and sth; Capricorn us on the 6th and 7th; Aquarius on the Bth and 9th, after which she rises later in the evening. She will appear again in;'the Crescent form in Loo on the 22nd and 23rd; in Virgo on the 24th to the 27th, and nearest the bright star Spica on the 26th; Libra on the 28th and 29th, and Scorpio and Ophinchus to the end of the month.

ECLIPSE—There will be a total eclipse take place on the sth, which, however, will happen in the morning. The time of the middle of the moons passage will be eight minutes past nine of the morning of the, sth. PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand rj-eah'time:—

Pull moon sdys 9hrs lOmin. a.m. Last quarter lldys llhrs 42min. a.m. New moon 19dys 2hrs 30min. p.m. First quarter 27dys 6hrs lOmin. p.m. Perigee 7dys 3hrs 6min. a.m. Apogee 22dys shrs 6min. p.m. 'MERCURY is a morning star at the beginning of the month, just entering Gemini. He is in perihelion on the 7bh, in superior conjunction on the 13th, in conjunction with Saturn on the morning of the 19th, and ''with rhe moon on the 20th-.

VENUiS is now an evening star crossing the meridian about one and a half hours after the sun at the middle of the month. She is in conjunction with Saturn on the sth, with Neptune on the 7th, and in greatest heliocentric latitude north on the 16th, and in lunar conjunction on the 21st. She is now drawing away from th© sun, and may be seen in the north-west after sunset on any clear evening.

: MAR'S is a morning star in the constellation Taurus, passing the meridian about two hours before the sun, "at the middle of the month. He is in lunar conjunction on the evening of the 16th.

JUPITER, is a morning star rising well away from the sun, and an interesting telescopic object in the early morning. He will be in lunar conjunction on the morning of the 15th.

SATURN is an evening star at the beginning of the month, but rapidly approaching the sun. He will be in conjunction with Venus • ori the sth, both planets being visible in a telescope, of large field, at about 11 a.m, on the morning of that date. He will be with Mercury on the morning of the 19th; in lunar conjunction on the morning of the 20th; in _olar conjunction on the morning of the 28th, and in conjunction with Neptune on the 31st.

URANUS is an evening star during the month. on the borders of Capricornus and Aquarius. He will be in lunar conjunction on the morning of the Bth.

NEPTUNE is an evening star in Cancer during the month. lie will be in conjunction with Venus on the morning of the 7th; with Mercury on the evening of the 18fch;' with' the moon on the morning of the 20th, and will pass' into solar, conjunction on the errming of the 28th.

THE CONSTELLATIONS visible in our evening skies during the middle of the month at 8 p.m. will be in, roughly, the same positions at 9 p.m. at the beginning and 7 p.m. at the end of the month. Bootes is now west of the northern meridian, with Corona 80-*eaiis and _ Coma Berenices on either side of the Herdsman. Hercules is east of the meridian, with Ophinchus and Serpens above him. Lyra, with the brilliant Vega, is just rising on the east of Hercules. Aquilo and .he Dolphin are iv the northeast, while in the eastern sector from the horizon towards tho zenith are Aquarius, Oapricornus, Sagittarius, and Scorpio in that order. ' Pisces and Grus are in the lower south-eastern sky. The two bright stars Achernar and Canopus are nearly equi-distant on each side of the southern.meridian low down. Hydrus and the Toucan, with Pavo, Indus:, Triangulum, and Ara, are over Achernar, and the great stars of Argo are over Canopus.. The Clouds of Magellan are under the Pole and on each side of the meridian. Hydra, with Crater and Corvns, are going down in the west, with the two Leos more to the north, Minor having about set, with the Major Group on the horizon. Virgo is over Leo, followed by Libra high up. COMET."—WoIf has not brightened up so much as northern observers led us to expect. It is certainly not a naked-eye object so far, and scarcely looks like becoming so, but there's no knowing, it may take a turn at any time, but not apparently due to its perihelion position.

THE HON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Obvervatory. June 30th, 1917. .