ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE, 1920.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 128, 2 June 1920, Page 6

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE, 1920.

THE SUN is in the constellation Taurus till the 20th, when h& enters Gemini. His northern declination increases- till the morning of the 22nd, when he reaches his northern solstice, at- which time we have- ova* ishortest day in the southern hemisphere.. Sunspots have fallen off greatly during the last month, therebeing little sign of activity of this nature visible-'during the past month. THE MOON, in her monthly circuit of the heavens, , passes the planets and comes into the vicinity of some of the brighter stars, aiici serves r.s a convenient pointer to them. She will bo nearest Venus on the evening of the 16th; Mercury on the evening of the< ISfch ; Jupiter on tiie evening of the 20th; Saturn on tlv evenings of the 21st and 22nd; AL.u-s on the evening of the 25th, n^d making a close approach to tlio Ruddy Planet at 3 hours 13mins. of the same afternoon. Her path 'through the constellations visible in our early evening skies is as follows: —Full moon at die beginning of the month. Sho is seen again as a crescent in the western skies shortly after sunset on the 19th and 20th, in Cancer and LeeK/ and in the latter constellation till the 22nd; in Virgo on the 23rd, till.the' 26th, and nearest ths bright star Spica on the 25th; Libra on the "27tli'; Scorpio on the 28th; Ophiuohus on the 20th; and Sagittarius till the end of the memth. PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand mean time: —

•MERCURY is an evening istnr during the month. He is in lunar conjunction on the ■.evening of the evening of the 18th, and is at its greatest elongation on the last day of the month, when his place in the sky is 2-5.8 degrees from that of the Sun's.' . , VENUS'is: a morning star during; the month, moving through parrot Taurus, and through-O-omrnij during' this period. ' She will be in lunar conjunction on the evening of the . 16th; in her ascending node on the

19fch. MARS is an evening star m Virgo .and close to the "bright star Spiea m the beginning of the month. He is stationary amongst the stars on the 2nd, after which he moves towards the east, night by night, during the rest of the* montli. He is in lunar conjunction on the afternoon of the 25th, and will be" seen close to our satellite at nightfall.^ Although now . past opposition, his surface markings still present detail of much interest which may be well seen, during the mouth, in a telescope of fair power. JUPITER is an evening star, during the month, moving forward in Leo. He is lunar conjunction on the 20th. He is now approaching -the Sun's place in the heavens, and tfie would-be observer must tackle him early in the evening before he gets into the dense .atmosphere layer near the horizon.. The observer who would see the more interesting eclipses, transits, and occultatiocs of his -satellites should note the evenings given below, viz., the 2nd, 6th, 9th. 11th, 13th, loth, 18th, 20th, 24th, 25 th, and 27th. SATURN is an evening star, throughout the month, in Leo. his ring system is still a most interesting object although steadily crowing lip into the plane of. vision. He is in Inn or conjunction on.thp 22nd. VENUS is an evening star during the month, moving forward m Aquarius.V He is in hmar conjunction on the 9th, and is stationary amongst the stars on the . 11th. NEPTUNE is an evening swir during the month, in Cancer. He. is in his ascending node on the ora, and in lunar conjunction on the • morning of the 20th. . x" ' THE 'CONSTELLATIONS for the middle of > the month are placed nsstated and may be seen ' similarly placed an hour later for the beginning- iind an hour earlier for the end; "of thkmonth. ©n the/lsth, v .at f about 8 P^, we find Booteson thenorthern:.meridian, with, the fino'star Arcturus nearer the horizon, lo the cast of Bootes is the Northern Crown and Hercules, while Coma Berenices and Virgo are to the- west, the fine star Spica being especially noticeable. ■ !At a greater elevation is Libra and ; Scorpio, the fine red star Antares.; claiming the attention as the lucida of the latter constellation. Sorpens and Ophiuchus are under the Scprpion. Sagittarius and Capricorhus are under the Scorpion south of east. ftrus is just rising clear of the horir.on towards the south. . Aquila is r:«-m? oyer the east. The Toucan, In''T«^.'* Pavo. and other smaller southev^- constellations are to the east; the Clouds of Magellan, with Doradus and others, to the west of the southern meridian. Achernor nearly due south, low down, and Argo with the Cross , and Pointers ' over the Ship, are well over in the western sky. Canis Major,is setting in the west, with Leo rather more to the north. THE HON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Observatory.'"'

Full Moon 2d. 4h. 43m. a.m. Lasfc Quarter ... lOd. 6h. 28m. a.m. New Moon... ... 17d. lh. llm. a.m. First Quarter ... 23d. 6h. 19m. p.m. Apogee 3d. 4h. flm. p.ra. Perigee 17d. 2h. 42m. a.m. Aposee..; 30d. 6h. 30m. p.m.