ASTRONOMICAT NOTES FOR OCTOBER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 1 October 1907, Page 1

ASTRONOMICAT NOTES FOR OCTOBER.

The SUN is in the. constellation Virgo till the end of the" nioftth,- when he enters Libra. His ' declination now south, increases by lldeg"^ -during the month, his atlitude at apraetitrvjnpon increasing during the same' p'e'riqdAi ram? -'63 deg. to 64 deg. ' A ! coiuipSahle^.ris© in the solar activity was ■fi'oted' during the early part of SebtemOfiifj^an exceptionally fine series of spoii. and," groups, or streams of spots, : beihg^rsible on the sun's surface during -/.ttery second and third weeks of the etnontn,' which gave us one of thos«- instances of a sudden rise in a declining^.curv^j a phenomenon that is by no means aji exception. The MOON, in ■ heif :jinpnthly circuit of the heavens, comeisCjnJoHhe vicinity of the planets and soin^of. the brighter stars, and serVi&y.a"S; 'a' convenient pointer to them... .: SfeVwill. be near Jilpiter on the emoraingof the second, to the '.iibrth ; JVelius :pn ithe'lmprning of the 9th, to the 86rlfi.; ''TJranus on the 14th; Mars- on thV isth',: io.tbe north,' Saturn on the 28tK : ; and"' Jupiter again on the morning raiihleSOlp, to' the north. She-.. wi11, pass throffghrt£e jcohstellations mentßmesd.en.thei.follo^nh^, evenings :tAs a crescent in Scorpio, on the 11th and 12th, and clos\iw"'the-fuie"red' star Antajes^bnHhe evening; of 'tit, ellth ; SagEtari'us' on thfe. ,l3th . and;:l4th; Capnoomus on th6 Isth .and .16th; Aquarius on the 17th~'anilS^;\Bisces on the 19th , '20th, and 21st; v 'Aties' on the 22nd and 23rd; Tanrfe'on the' 24th and 25th, after which sh&Vrises 'later in the evening. . ' ■[: ,'• PHASES OF THfi; MOON, in New Zealand mean time ;— New' moon, 7 days 9 hrs 61 min. pini.;' first quarter, 14 days, 9 hrs. 32 min. p.m. ; full moon, 21 days 8 hrs. 46 inibV p.m. ; last quarter, 29 days, 7 hrs ix inui.' p.m. MERCURY is' an eSenJng; star in Virgo, moving forwarcUattEe beginning of the month. He wilt'lie, t'inVconjunction with the fooh on ..the' '-morning of the 9th at 9 hr9. 19-.teiii.j.;being removed for the moon's ceritre^ ; 0.64 deg. to the south. He -will reach 'his; greatest elongation east on the of . the 23rd, when he will b;e....'.jeni^ved 24.20 deg. from the sun's periire,-asd rather more than 10 deg. fo-.tjje eouth^ in agular measurement, at tfi'e"time,. affording southern observers a, Mfiiie opportunity of seeing this ■soniewh'aTt eJuaive object. VENUS is stiff; too. near the sun. but towards the end of -.the,, month will draw away from the .overpowering rays of our luminary, and may ■. then be glimpsed shortly- aft&rVsuhseti .She will be in cohjunctioh'CVCTrith the m<ton on the morning of thf^§th ( at 6 hrs. 26 min.; and in conjiiiictiott with. Alpha Librae, the bright s^c«'iii -Ute Scales, on the 27th, an in'teresjiflg'.ghenomenon which will, however, 't^kß.'.plioe after both 'bodies have passed . belo w jOur horizon. '■■;'-?'"■{': „' MARS is still the! : brigKt.planet of our evening skies, moving\ ■forward rapidly in the constellation. .Sagittarius. In the telescope he 'ias 1 ceased" to .be the attractive object ofa.irioj&h'or'two ago, as, owing to his rapidly ' increasing distance from the earth, hisV^isc" appears of much smaller diaine'ter^aiid .revealing considerable phase, appeanng' at present like the. moon a few days Jroii .the full. He will be in conjuhofion ' '..-"with thft moon on the evening- dF"lhe" 15th, at 5 hrs. p.m; . ~. /"' JUPITER is a rie\v',iiShiing star in the. constellation Caneeit* moving forward." He will be in conjunction with the-moon on the 2nd, and again on the 30th. ' Interesting .views;.' of his satellites in, transit and at eclipse. and occula'tion may.be lookeel • fpr" on, the 3rd, 4th, Sth, 12th, 13th, 15th, 19th, 22nd, 27th, and 29th. Oh. the 3rd all four of his brightest satellites' will' be passing across his disc at the same time. ' SATURN has bow .reached a position in our evening skws affording Observers a good opportunity" of 'scanning his disc and his satellites' motum^ ; bis ring system apears in the/ large:" telescope of the Observatory Ss a;-brigh.l l^ie on each sjde of the planet's'-" disp;- showing considerable thiekSnlbg 'ajt'.'tlib Cassini di-wion-and a shadow: on the planet- under the ring. ■ He'~tnll';bft in conjunc-. | tion with the moon oh" the morning of the 19fh, and will arip«ar -hear that body on -the- same^and 'pteceding evenings. "-:. --r '•■;>.: ' ■■■■.- : URANUS is an evening star in the constellation Sagit'tarius.KHe-will be in quadrature wiiE-ih'e.siini6n the 3rd, and in conjunction \vitß" 'tnev~inodh on the 14th. '" \h NEPTUNE is a.mbrquig star in Gemini, with a forWar^dmpvement till the middle' of tho ntoritftV 'i.Wter "which ha will retrograde. ' Hi;.-v?ill be'in-quad-rature vith'the'''Bn&,"oiiil'thel9th, and in conjunction with'V-.th&Vmooh, on the 28th. . f.\ ; --' METEORS.— Radiants are situated in Taurus, Pisces, 'dnS; ''Aries during this month, when a go6d -lookout may bo kept on these constellations during the morning hours befofe '.daylight. The CONSTELfcASPjONS for the middle of the m'phth'.^at' about 8 p.m. areas follow :^-To'^he/ii[b>rth,' the great square of Pegasus, Aquarius and Pisces Australia towards „tho zenith, the bright star Fomalhant ljeing_ r especially noticeable. In th^; sppth, just rising, is Argo — the Ship-4-with the brilliant Canopus rising from his. lower transit; above these is To'ttcaiv,'' -containing the fine cluster 47, situated, just. above the smaller Magellanic- Clone) at-'this time. The Cross and the two, bright Pointersare working- down^'.'tQwards.v.their summer position under. fhe : P6lij, followed by the Southern Trianglel Tn the east is Cetus — the Sea Monster— with Aries, while towards the isoutli-east is Eridanus — the River — containing the fine star Achernar. Near .the aieridian is Aquila; — the Eagle — with the fine star .Altair, the centre of three stars in line and fairly close together. Cygnus— the Swan — is nearing .the north-western horizon, while further west and south may be seen Ohpiuchus, low down, followed by the Scorpion and Saigttarius, the latter in that- brilliant region containing the Trifid Nebula. The ZODIACAE LIGHT.— This delicate phenomenon. : was seen to great advantage on several occasions during the last month, its pearly coni> *-f light being very noticeable" when 'ieht bands of clouds were projected upon it. This should be looked I ' for as * n »s darkness sets in, on 'night's '<r ':..-. he rooon is not above 'o**'"fe)n«>n. / .The COMETi-^Ch'is int ro.ting ob*]&s still purs'ues its' con;.- near '.the .sun, close to ip^Siehit ■■will, -npivently, remain for soiile tfine, cvir." •<••> the motion of the '^arth and ■■■eon:' being" in somewhat the same direct 1 ' °i THE HON. DIRECTOR, .. ■ . Wanprtni T^-rvatory. Septcmiicr 30th, 1907. .; ;