ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 4

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE.

BI 8. STCABT, BRITISH A6TBOROMICAT, ' . ASSOCIATION. ■•■. ■■■

We shall now one© more have a chance to see Mercury as evening star, as he has moved to the eastward of the sun, and is daily increasing his distance from that luminary; consequently will become visible over the western horizon in the .< evenings. The rapidity ■ with which '. his distance from the sun increases may be seen by the difference in his time of setting, which on the Ist is at sh. 18m., and on ' the 15th at 6h. 17m. p.m., by which last ithe evening sky has become quite dark enough over the sunset to permit of any of the planets , becoming visible. Between 7 and 8 a.m. on the 6th Mercury will be in his maximum latitude from the ecliptic as seen from the sun, and on \ the 11th, - nearly at midnight, there will occur a very rare position, inasmuch as the little planet will then pass directly over the. small star Epsilon Geininorum,' of the third magnitude. '■; i Seen from the earth's centre, the planet would occult or completely hide the star, but from places on the surface it may bo a little distinguished because of parallax. During the evening Mercury will be a little to the west, because the phenomenon does not occur until after he has set. but it will be well wort) looking for, as so near an approach is very seldom seen. On the 13th, about 8 a.m., the planet is in close proximity to the moon, about three degrees to the north; and for those who do not know him by sight, he can bo recognised the previous evening to the east and north of our satellite as the only bright star in her vicinity. ; At lh. 22m. p.m. on tho 13th Mercury will be in conjunction; with Neptune—the nearest to the sun and the most distant planet . appearing together within 2deg. 51rn., but, only by aid of suitable observatory means, if then, because Neptune is far too near the sun's place to be easily seen. But on the 16th, at 8 a.m., Mercury will be within ldeg. 41m. to the north of Jupiter, and this will bo a fine opportunity, to see tho smaller body and.make comparisons .both'the evening before and after the event. By the 27th, at lOln 30m. p.m., the planet will have reached his greatest angular distance to the cast of the sun, in this instance 25deg. 28m., and between six and seven p.m. on the 29th he will be exactly on the ecliptic in his descending node. For the present his movement is from the 19th degree of the sign Gemini, through Cancer, to the third degree of Leo, with latitudo from the second degree .north to tho first Venus remains the brilliant; herald of the dawn, rising on the Ist at a-quarter to 5 a~m., and on the 15th at 11 minutes past that hour. She.' is the most conspicuous of any of the planets at present, but is not in the neighbourhood of any bright stars with which she can •be compared. Her angular distance to the westward of the i sun is slowly decreasing, preparatory to her becoming lost in tho sunrays; but that will not bo for some time to come. It will be an interesting point for those favourably situated to note her gradual approach to the sun, with a view to determine the time oi her disappearance to the naked eye, for this is one bfthe points upon which modern astronomical works; do not enhgbten us She is moving at present between the. 13th decree of Taurus and the 17th of Gemini, inEtude between the second degree north arid the first : south. - ... _ Mars is now daily becoming more consnicuously bright as he gets; nearer to .'his SpoSn to "the sun, and his visible meter becomes larger, .as a lamin » red star in the evening sky .to the^ eastward- :■ He is now more conspicuous.y UQKeable -because, in addition to, the above Sons, he rises at.a, comparatively eaiy hour on the Ist at 7h. 25m., and on the IMb '•fSfi: 24m. p.ni., and is thus present all the evenings. Between 1 and 2 p.m. on the Mh Mars, will cease his direct pro, ; «ess towards the east, become stationary,. 5$ after that will move retrograde.otto, wards the west. About 6 a.m on tho fflg he will be in conjunction with the moon,, but separated by some five degrees of declination to the south; and h, s the' month will be torn the 19t» degree.of Capricornbackwardsto its 16th degree and from the third to the fifth degree of south latitude. ;; -'■'..,:.:'' ~-.''■.' '•■'"■ •■■■;■'''.' ii. 'ill ~t ■ Jupiter still remains a brilliant object over the sunset, but is rapidly receding from us and approaching the place, of the sun, in whose rays he will shortly disappear. As in the case of: Venus, there is nx,apmpm\ ity for those who may have an open horizon to the westward to watch the latest date at which he can be seen with the eye alone, as ; he gets nearer to the glow of the sunset; for in this the amateur has a-moans of -adding something to the sum ; of astronomical knowledge which is not otherwise available at present. It will not be before the middle of '•: July that • the sun will reach the exact place of this planet, but he will disappear some time previously. -"■ Ho will set on the Ist at 7h. 9m., and on the 15th at 6h. 2(m. p.m., and is now moving betweon the 13th and 19th degrees of the sign' Cancer, with only a few minutes of latitude to the north of the ecliptic. ! On the 13th about 6. p.m. ho will be inclose conjunction with the moon and undergo an occultation; but particulars of this occurrence will bo given, on : that day in the Herald. ; '-..-',■; . Saturn will next be coming into view over tho eastern horizon, as he rises on the Ist at 3m. past 1 a.m., and on tho 15th at 12m. after midnight.. About 5 p.m. on tho 4th,: while still below our horizon, he will be in conjunction with tho moon and some three degrees to the south of her; and on the 20th between 1 and 2 a.m. he will be quadrature or 90 degrees from the sun towards the west. Ho is moving slower than usual between the 27th and 28th degrees of the sign Pisces, in the beginning of the third degree; of south latitude. '• The distant planet -Uranus or Herschell now rises on tho Ist at 7, and on the 15th at 6b. 3m. p.m., so that those provided with any • sort of telescope may exercise themselves endeavouring to distinguish him from the small, stars of the constellation Sagittarius, rising about , E.S.E. He will be found between the two brightest, which rise with- him, and. cannot be ; mistaken for either of them. But in any case he can be identified on the 26th about 9 p.m., as hewill then be about two degrees to tho south of the moon, though her light will make him appear very faint even in the telescope. Ho is moving . retrograde between . the 12th and 11th degrees of the sign Capricorn. f Neptune, the most distant body, of the solar system, is now getting too near the sunset to bo easily seen even with a good telescope, as he sots on the Ist at 7h., and on the 15th at 6b. 7m. p.m. He is thus almost exactly in opposition to Uranus, which position takes place on the 12tb at midnight. On the 13th at about 9 a.m. he will bo in conjunction with the moon and will undergo*an occultation; but it is so near the sun that the Nautical Almanac gives no. elements for it. Neptune is in the . 12th and 13th degrees of the sign Cancer and the first of south latitude.

The sun has now arrived in the neighbourhood of our winter solstice, which point ho passes on the 23rd at lh. 53m. a.m. It is, of course, the summer solstice of the northern hemisphere, 1 and formerly an occasion of much interest to astronomers as affording them an opportunity to ascertain .the clement called tho obliquity of the ecliptic with great exactitudoj we have observations of this sort extending , backwards until • tho fifth century bbl'oro Christ. We Jaro now at the time of the shortest days and longest nights, as on the day of the solstice the sun is 9h. 27m. above our horizon, arid 14h. 33m. below it; and these times do not vary more than 10 minutes during the month. When the sun is on the meridian, on tho Ist, the clocks in Auckland will indicate llh. 47m. 125., on < the 15th llh. 49m. 445., and. on the 30th lib. 52m. 555. ;

The erratic course of the moon is marked on the 3rd, at 4h. 50m., by her last quarter, and on the 11th, at 40m. before noon,- shewill be new in the 19th degree of Gemini. Her first quarter takes place on the 19th, at 2h. 25m. p.m., and there will be a full moon on the 2bth, at Bh. 57m. a.m., in the 4th degree of Capricorn. She will be in her apogee, or most distant from us, on the 13th, at 6b. 36m. a.m. and in her perigee, or nearest:point, on the 26th, at lb. 48m. p.m. She will rise to her average height in our hemisphere on the sth, at four minutes .past midnight, and again on the 20th, at 61). 28m. p.m., as on those occasions she crosses our celestial equator from south to north and north to south respectively. She will rise to her present least altitude on the 13th, as on that day she has her most northern declination for the month, 21deg. 52m., and on the 26th the opposite phenomenon will occur, as she is then in her mostsouthern declination, 21deg. 52m. On the 14th, at Oh. 55m., she will pass her ascending, node in 26deg. Cancer, and on the 27th, at 6h. 41m. p.m., her descending node in the 25th degree of Capricorn. She is at her greatest .distance to the south of- the ecliptic on the 6th, , and to the north of it on. the 21»t. :'.' . ■ •■

It; is interesting to note from correspjCH)cleuls that many phenomena of the skies, which would otherwise pass unnoticed, ■ ass now,, being observed by the aid of the Hkkald and Weeku News monthly. astro; nouiii'itl uotiwg.