ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 103, 2 May 1919, Page 7

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

FOR MAY/ 1919.

The SUN is in the constellation Aries till thcTlfcth, when- he passes into, tau* r’s. His aeofination is' noyr, scrth and increase's dvr.r.g - the month by 7 dog.. bei®g 14.5 on the Ist and 21i-6• on tne hist. Sunspots have shown a consider able decline during the past month, but several interesting, groups have formed, under observation, from regions affected with dcso spotting, cn the visible disc.

The MOON, in her , monthly circuit of the heavens, comes into the Vicinity of the planets, and some of the brighter stars, and thus serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will be near Venus on the 2nd and 3rd ; Jupiter on the 4th; Saturn on the 7th and Bth; Uranus on the evening of the 23rdr Mercury on the 28th; Mars on the 29th. She may be seen passing through the constellations visible in our evening skies as follows: —In Gemini on the 3rd, 4th, and sth, and nearest the bright stars Castor and Pollux on the latte, date; Cancer on the 6th; Leo on the 7th, Bth, and 9th, and nearest the bright star Regulus on the evening of the Bth ; Virgo on tlm 10th to the 13th, and nearest the bright star Spica on the 12th; Libra on the 14th and 15th; Scorpii on the 16tb, and nearest the bright ired star Antares, the Heart of the Scorpion, that date.. She will be in Ophinchus on the 17th ; Sagittarius on the 18th to the 20th; after which she rises late in the evening. Phases of the Moon in New Zealand Mean Time:—

ECLIPSE.—There will, be a total eclipse of the Sun on the 30th, invisible in New Zealand. MERCURY is a morning star during the whole of May. He will'be at greatest western elongation, from the Sun s place, on the 6th, and in lunar conjunction on the 28th. VENUS is now a brilliant object, in our early evening skies, in the west. She is in lunar conjunction on the; morning of the 3rd, and may be seen near our stellite on this and the preceding date. She will be in conjunction with the planet Jupiter on the 26th, at lOhrs. 41min. a.in., but will appear close to the big planet at nightfall, when they will make an interesting sight in the western sky. MARS is an evening star at the beginning of the month, but is in solar conjunction on the 10th. after which he passes over the sky in front of the 1 Sun, and is now invisible. He is in lunar conjunction on the 29th. JUPITER is still a prominent object in the nortßweat, during the early ' evening. He is •in lunar conjunction on the eveiiing of the 4th, and will be in conjunction with Venus on the 26th. His satellite phenomena may be seen to best advantage on the following evenings, when eclipses, transits or ocI culationa mav be observed in any fairly I powerful telescope, viz., the sth, 6th, ! Bth, 9th. 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, i 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd,. 24th, 28th. 29th, 30th, 31st.

SATURN is a prominent object in Leo, now moving towards the east. He is in lunar conjunction on the morning of the Bth, and may be seen on either side of the Moon on this and the preceding evening. His ring system is now dosing, but still presents a very attractive view in a good telescope. URANUS is a morning star during the month. He will be in lunar con-

junction on the 23rd, ami in quadra ture on the 24th.

NEPTUNE is an evening star in Cancer] He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the evening of the 6th, The CONSTELLATIONS visible in our early evening skies are placed as follows, for the middle of the month. The same appearance will obtain an hour later at the beginning, and air, hour earlier at the end of the month: Portions of Ursa Major and Leo Minor are low on the northern meridian to the Venatici and Coma Berenices,"'are in the same position to the east. Higher stands Virgo, and its brilliant staf Spica, and over this is the Water Snake, Hydra, with the small .constellations Corvus and Crater; Leo, and its fine star Regulus is west of the meridian over Leo Minor. Bootes, and the brilliant Aircturus are towards the north-cast, and the Serpens, Ophinchus and Libra to the~ east. South of east is the Scorpion, its big red star Antares, the centre of three lying horizontally, being very conspicuous. Sagittarius follows the Scorpion. The Curtain is well up towards the zenith, and the southern Cross and Pointers .are nearing the zenith. Eridanus and the bright Achernar are now nearing the horizon in the south and west. Orion is nearly set, and Canis Major, with

the brilliant Sirius, followed by Argo, are all west of the southern meridian. Hydrus and Toucan are low down in the south, with Indus, Pavo and Triangulum in the south-east. The Clouds of Magellan are below the Pole and to the west. THE HON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Observatory. Wanganui. April 30th, f 1919.

D. H. M. First Quarter ... 7 11 3 a.m. Fair Moon ... ... 15 12 31 p.m. Last Quarter ... 23 9 34 a.m. New Moon ... ... 30 12 42 a.m. Apogee ... 14 9 42 a.m. (Perigee ... 29 4 54 a.m.