ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR APRIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 1 April 1915, Page 8

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR APRIL

THE- SUN is in the constellation Pisces till-, the 19th, when he enters Aries. He is now north of the equator, his declination' being 4 deg. north at the beginiung and 14.5 at the end of the month. In© solar surface has exhibited large areas of disturbance during the past month, made up principally ot ~ s P°*f groups, and streams. On the 3rd no less than , six separate areas ot disturbance were visible, indicating a, rapid return to maximum activity. _ THE MOON, in her monthly circuit ot the heavens, comes into the vicinitv of the planets and some of the brighter ' stars, and serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will be nearest Uranus on the morning of the 9th. to the fc-utn ; Venus on the 11th, to the north; Jupiter on the 12th, to the north: Mars oa the same-date, to the north ; Mercury on the 13th. north ; Saturn on the morning of the 20th, north, and Nepture oil the 22nd, in the same direction. Her F n £" through the constellations, during the early evenings, visible in our skies, is as follows:—In Virgo on the Ist- and 2nd, and nearest the bright star Spica on the : Ist; Libra and Scorpio on the 3rd and 4th'respectively, after which she rises late.She will come in . again a-s a crescent 3 in our western skies on the lPth, 'in Taurus, and nearest the fine iyd star Aldebarah on that- date. She will psse ' into Gemini on the- 20th, into Cancer en the 22nd, passing the bright Twins, Castor and Pollux, on the morning ol that. date. She will be in Leo on the 24th, 'an<l will pass into Virgo again on the morning of the 27th, and may be seen in this constellation on this and the two following evenings, and will be "found in Libra at the end of the month. PHASES OF . THE MOON in New Zealand mean time : . •' • V D. H. M. •Last Quarter --- . 7 7 42 a.m. New Moon -- -■ -14 11 : 6 p.m.; First Quarter" ... 25 3 9 Full Moon ... 30 1 49 a.m. "Perigee ... ' 2 11 - 6 a.m. Apogee 18 3 6 a.m. Pe-ieee 1.. ... 29 6 42 p.m. ME&CURY is a morning star during , the month, in the constellations -Pisces and Aries. He willTbe in conjunction with - Maxs on the 4th, with the" Moon on- the- 13£ h, and in greatest heliocentric latitude south on the 14th. •VENUS is a morning star throughout April. She is moving forward in Aquarius - and .IJisces. She will ■be .in lunar conjunction on the 11th, in conjunction and making . a very close approach on. the 15th with Jupiter; and in Aphelion 04 the last day of- the month. - MARS - is,'a' morning star dui ing the month, .in Pisces". He is in conjunction ■with Mercury on the 4th; in perihelion on the 6th; and in lunar conjunction on the 12th. • •; ■■ ■ JUPITER is .a morning star throughOut the month. He is moving forward ih the constellations Aquarius and' Pis-, ces". On the 12-th he i< lunar conjunction, and on the l-6th he makes a very close -con junction - with the planet -Venus. SATURN is now the only bright planet visible in.'our evening skies. .He is .well on the border of Taurus and Gemini, and is weir placed for observation in the telescope in the-early; evening.- His ring system is now well opened, affording ia very interesting view in a good telescope. He will be in .conjunction with on the 20th, and may be seen near. our : Satellite on that- and preceding -

. evening. . . . t?RANUS is, at this time, in Capri'cornus rising- Jite in the evening. He will .be in lunar conjunction on "the 9th. "-NEPTUNE is-an evening star in Cancer: "He is stationary-amongst the stare on-the-9th, is:.on tJie meridian at midfiiglrt on ;the; 19th, and is in Junrfr conjunction on -the - evening of the 22nd. .THE CONSTELLATIONS visible in

Onr evening skies,; at: the middle of the - month,- dniinjr the early evening, are placeii-- as-• follows.—To the north, Leo,, afid the fine star Regwlus, in the- handle of ; _the . Sickle,v -just- ; over the; Meridian. Ahove- Leo is. the long-drawn-out shape * o-f'Hydra—the Water Snake, and above it the smaller-constellations of the Cup and Crow. Virgo, " and its bright star •Spica, are- in the north-east, with Arcturusand the rest of Bootes just emerging -from the "horizon in the- noith-east. In-; the east and south-east may toe seen * .Libra and the Scorpion, with the Centaur more towards the south. The Cross is~=now "turning towaids the upright position above tie Pole, followed by the Pointers and the Southern Triangle, with 3?avo .near thV horizon on the east, and Toucan in the same'position west of the Southern. Meridian. • Over Toucan is Hydrus and Achemar, with the rest of Eridanus towards the south-western horizon." Orion ; is now getting well down towards' the horizon, in the west, and above-bim Lepns and Canis- Major, with th§-" Great Dog Star {Tinas} brightest of all-the-etarry host aaf viewed from this planet/ after the Sun, bur own particular atar. Gemini is approaching the horizon - in the north-west, followed by Cancer. The-finest'view of the Milky Way ■is now visible in these latitudes, the zone ; of - stars from Orion, near Setelgueee,: across to .Scorpio, being very rich iri bright stars/and being disposed from the, northwest" to,.the south-east points, and south; i slightly; of the point overhead. :. ; JpELAVAST'S COMET.—This may' be : seen in a three-inch, or larger, astronomical telescope at this time. Its position'" for.the, middle of the month is EjJightly south-west of the star Theta, in Scorpio—the upper claw.. . X THE HON. DIRECTOR, -t ' -- - • 'Wanganm Observatory. '-/ March 31st, 1915.