ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 4 August 1920, Page 2

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

FiOR AUGUST, 1920.

The SUN is in tlio copistellation Oiiiocs.- till tho 18th, when he enters Leo. His northern declination is now decreasing day by day, and his noon taJ.titu.de- incrt3a,sjng in tli© same ratio. A few sunspots pi fair magintudo woi-3 observed ■during the montn oi: Jidy, bi«t there is a, tendency to minimum conditions prevailing ait this time. ... The MOON, in her monthly circuit; oi tl:e heavens, comes into tho. vicinity of the planets, and some of the brighter .stars, .and serves, as a convenient pointer to them.^ iSho will bo nearest Mercury on the morning of the 13th; Jupiter on ■the morning of the loth; V«nnu on the evening -of -the 15th ;' Saturn on the mcjming of tlie Kith; Urauus on the morning of tlvo 30c.h. Hei' path through the constellations in our early evening skies is as follows: In Virgo on the 17th, 18th, and 19th, aad nearest th? brio-li.t sta.r Spica on tiro 18th; Libra on the 20th and 21st; Scorpio on tlia 22nd, and nearest the big red star Antarrs on tha,t date; Ophinchus on tho 23rd; ; Sagittarius on the 24th, 2;jth, and 26th; Capricornus on the 27th and 28th; Aquarius en the 29tn and 30th, and■ Pisfje« on the 31st. PHASiI'IS OB THE MOON in NcnZealand mean time:

Last quarter Bd. Oh. 21m. a.m. Nev moon ... -14d. 3h. 14m. p.m. First Quarter... 21d. lOh. 22m. p.m. Full moon ... 30d. Olu 33m. a.m. Perigee .-• 12d. sh. 18m. p.m. Apogee ... 24d. 4h. Gm. p.m. MERCrjHY is a morning star during the month. He is now passing outwards, beyond the sun, with which he will be in conjunction early in September, He will be stationary amongst the stars on the 6th; in conjunction with the moon on the morning of the 13th; at greatest western longation on the 15th, when he will have an angular distance of IS.Tdsg. from the sun. He will be.in conjunction with the planet Neptune on the morning of the 22nd, when at 5 33 a.m. in New Zealand mean time ho will be 32min. north ol: the outermost planet as received from .the earth, which is roughly tlie distance of the :-noon"s diameter. VENUS is an evening sta.r close to the sun's place, and slowly emerging from behind our luminary and approaching the earth. She will bo in conjunction with Jupiter on the morning of the 9th; in lunar conjunction on tho evening oi the lotu, and in con] unction with the planet Saturn on tho morning -or the /drcl, and ,*een on either side of the ringed planet on this and the preceding date. . ■ ~ , MARS is an evening star .throughout the month. He has now greatly 'deorcased in apparent size, and the markings on his surface are becoming difficult in any but telescopes of great power. He is in quadrature on tho 4th. and in lunar conjunction on the JUPITER is an evening star at the beginning of the month. He comes into .solar conjunction on the 22nd, after which he will become a morning sta" as he emerges from the sun s place. He will be in conjunction with Venus on the morning of the 9th, with tho moon on the morning of Ihe loth. ~ . SATURN is an evening star during the whole of August. He is rapidly, drawing near to the sun, into wlucn lio will disappear at tho end ot the month. He will be in conjunction with tho moon on the morning of tho 16th, and will be seen on either side of our satellite on this and the preceding evening. URANUS is 'an evening stay in Aquarius, slowly retrograding.. He is in lunar conjunction twice during the month, viz.,"on the 2nd and again on the 30th. He will be on-the noirthcrn meridian i*t midnight of tho 27th. NEITUNE is now a morning star in Cancer. He is in conjunction with tho moon on the early morning ot the 14th 'Die CONSTELLATIONS for the middle uf the month are placed as follows: Hercules and Lyra, arc to the west and cast respectively of the northern / meridian and nearest the ho'-izon. Over Hercules is Ophinchus and .Serpons; Cygnus is clearing the horizon to the east of Lyra, while tho fin..:' star (Double) in the Swan s Bea.k, Albireo, is just over Lyra. AquiU is over Cygn us, and tho Dolphin lies between tho Eagle and tho horizon. Pegasus is partly arisen betweoon the east and narth-east points. Cetus is in a. similar position south of east. Aquarius, Capricorn us, and Sagittarius are nver the oast m the order given. Tho Cross and Pointers have now passed over the South Pole and arc now declining in tho west, followed by tho Southern Triangle. Argo and its great ptor CanoiMis a.re now scluth-east. Tho Magellan Clouds, with Toucan, Hydrns,'and JSridimus are prominent, in' tli^ wiith-e;vst with D'oradus untl Phoenix low do.yn. Virgo: is setting in the west with Libra- and the Scorpion following hey down. Bootes rind Corona are Hearing the horizon in the north-oast.

MTt JOHN GRTGG, of Thanire.— In tlto parsing of Mr Grigg Now Zealand losivj an natron oanacnl ob-s-,orv-?r who.-o qualities were _rocognisod by the nscrcnomecs of Europe and Amorica, as well as Austni.lin. ;>,,ncl own own land. Sotting up lii.s small obscrvatojy a.t Thames, about forty yrars aga. lie 'devoted his lei-nro/tiino to the pursuit of his be!'..<vo'! study "'ifcli a thoroughness ih;.'t was clia.r.Mcteristic of the man. He Trinel/? hini.se!f familiu.r with the moif oliH.'iiro botlics of spswjo, and in duo couif-o v -:i« rewarded for his a.rdiums efforts by the discovery of two now cnii-ets, besides "spotting,", originally, at its return, on one ocasinn. thai olus'A'e body known as "Eneke's" cornet. As a photographer of cclca-

tial objects Mr Grigs did excellent work. He was a fine musician, and produced various" compositions, and was. altogether, a. man of elevated tastes and sterling character.. He ■has passed to. that bourne whence no traveller returns, but his momciry will endure with +ihose whose privilege it was to call him friend, as long as theirs delight to dwell on the days ere time and fate through him their vintage nrest. THF, HON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Observatory. 30th July, 1920.