GLORY OF THE STARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19216, 4 January 1926, Page 5

GLORY OF THE STARS.

THE HEAVENS fN JANUARY. PLANETS AND CONSTELLATIONS. (By the Hon. Director, Wanganui Observatory.) Tho snn is in the constellation Sagittarius, until January 29, when he passes into Capricornus, whero he will be at the end of the month. Having reached his greatest southern declination on Decern-' her 22 ho has now turned and is making his way, once again, toward the equator. His altitude at noon thersforo decreases ibv about 54 degrees dura;; the month. Snnspots ihavti been very much in evidence during the past month. Very largo groups and streams of spots have b«en seen upon the visible hemisphere of the snn. At the time cf writing there is a great stream-gronp in both north and south solar latitudes. The one is ovor 11.0,000 miles iij length and tho other over 100,000 miles made up of great, spots and masses oil smaller ones, tho whole making an impressive spectacle in tho powerful telescope at tho observatory. Theso ! two great groups are easily seen through stained or smoked glass. Eclipse of tho Sun. There will bo a total eclipse of the, sun on January 14, tho path of totality passing from Central Africa across the Indian Ocean and ending in the Northern Pacific. The limiting latitude of southern partial phase lies to tho west and north of New Zealand. The moon, moving night by night to tho east among the stars, passes in turn the brighter planets and some of the more brilliant stars, and serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will bo nearest to Saftirn on January 10, Mars on January 11, Mercury on January 12, Jupiter on January 13 and 14 and "Venus on January 16. Mercury is a morning star during the month, moving through Ophiuchus and Sagittarius. He will be in lunar conjunction on tho morning of January 13 and at his greatest distanco from the sun on January 24. Brilliancy of Venus. Venus is an evening star during the mouth. She attains her greatest brilliancy on the morning of January 3, and is very near her brightest on this and the preceding evening. She presents the appearance of the moon, in the crescent phaso, at this time, and tho crescent becomes more marked from week to week during the month, as its apparent diameter will increase. She will bo in lunar conjunclaon on the night of January 16, becoming stationary among tho stars. The planet should be observed, telescopically, during tho early hours of the evening, while it is still above tho denser vapours near the horizon. Mars is a morning star during the month, rising before the sun and moving across tho sky during the daylight. Ho is in lunar conjunction on January 11. Jupiter is an ovemng star during the month, below Venus, in the western cky, and setting early. Any telescopic observations of this planet must now bo made in tho very early evening. He will bo in lunar conjunction on tho morning of Jannaiy 15. Saturn is a morning star during the month, rising before the snn. Ho will be seen in luEiar 6onjunction on January 10, and, may be seen close to our satellite on this and the following mornings. The Constellations. The constellations, as given below, may be seen in those positions at 10 p.m. on January 1, 9 p.m. on January 16, and 8 p.m. on January 30. This is because the stars move, night by night, toward tho west, and we meet them on tho eastern horizon four minutes earlier each day, thus making a difference of an hour every fifteen days. Looking north we see Perseus, to tho west of the meridian, and Auriga toward the east, both near the horizon. The brilliant Capella, in tho latter constellation, is now very prominent, and is one of the giant sl'ars of space. Taarus is over these, tho Hyados being over Aiiriga, and the Pleiades over Perseus. Gemini is now well risen in the north-east, the bright twins, Castor and Pollux, being near the horizon. Over Gemini is Orion, easily distinguished by his " belt" of three stars, In line, and the form of tho pot or diupper. Rigel, the bright star to left, and above the "belt" may be noticed of a bluish-white tint, and is one of the hottest stall's known, its temperature being estimated, at about 20,000 degrees centigrade. Over Orion may be seen Lepus, tho hare, while running away toward the west,, and over tho zenith, is Eridanus, its bright star Achernar, the last in the River, being now near tho zenith, on the south-west. The long, straggling form of Hydra, the wiitar-snake, may now be seen extending across the eastern horizon from north to south. Camis Major, and its fine star Sums, of all the starry host, as seen from planet earth, now lies about mid-way between the eastern horizon and the point overhead, while A.rgo is to the south, its brilliant star Canopus being very noticeable. The Cross has now got well out from under tho southarn pole, followed by the bright pointers Alpha and Beta of the Centaur. The southern Triangle is now due sonth, with Ara just below it toward the horizon. Pavo and the Toucan are now west of the southern meridian, while the clouds of Magellan are high over the southern pole, east and west of it. Capricornus and Aquarius are now nearing the western horizon, and Pegasus and Andromeda may be seen low down in the north-west, with Aries and Pisces above them, and Cetus is over these again, the star Mira lieing now visible in the neck of the sea monster. The Energy of the Sun. With the greaii increase of solar energy as made manifest during the past month in the number and size of tho large spots, and groups of Bpots, appearing on his visible surface, 'are are again confronted with tho problem of the upkeep and recurrence of his energy. To think of the earth as dependant upon the sun for the existence of all life, is one thing, and to think of the ;stm as operating lor the benefit of the earth, or lor the whole of the planetary is quite another thing altogether. Tho radiation of light and heat, which on unceasingly from this mighty orb. iis truly tremendous. It has been calculated that every square centimetre of the sun's surface is producing energy equal to an eleven honiopower engine. This means that through every square yard of the solar surface energy equal to over 90 thousand horsepower is pouring, and if we take ona square mile then we must account for ovor 230 thousand million horse-power. And of all this tremendous energy, in the form of light and heat radiated away from the solar surface, the earth and all tho other planets receive only the one 230 millionth part. No wonder that someone remarked that Nature apparently spills gallons to fill a wineglass.