VENUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 119, 26 July 1873, Page 8

VENUS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. Sir, —It is by no means a difficult thing to see Venus in the daytime, although it seems to have been a cause of astonishment at Sydney. I have repeatedly seen Venus in the daytime, whether she is a morning or an evening star, when she was clear from the sun’s glare, and the brighter the sunshine the more readily. In the early morning, when Venus and the moon are both visible, hold out a stick at arm’s length, with the thumb on the moon and the point of the stick on Venus. As the moon, though less bright than Venus, is readily seen from her size in the day time, by repeating the above plan Venus is quickly rediscovered. The same plan can be adopted with the sun at sunrise, but not so easily from the sun’s brightness. Again, in the evening, note as before the distance of Venus from the moon or the setting sun, and next day, although the moon is a little farther off from Venus she can be found. But when the place of Venus is known she can be always seen without any trouble. I have often pointed her out to others. Twice here I have seen Jupiter in the day time, and that is a difficult thing to do. The moon in the early morning was close to Jupiter in both eases. The sky was very clear, and so I managed to find the planet in full sunshine. Mercury is now visible in the evening. Jupiter is the evening star. On the left of Jupiter last evening was a bright star not far away, and on the left of the star is Mercury. Mercury is of a dull yellowish color, and twinkles.—l am, &c. A. Stock;