ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR NOVEMBER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2955, 2 November 1910, Page 66

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR NOVEMBER.

(By John Grigg, F.R.A.S.).

THE SUN. The Sun’s path during- this month will b© from R. A. 14 21 dec. S. 14 5 in the constellation of Libra to 11 A. 16 24 dec. S. 21 56 in Ophiuchus, or, in longitude, from 217 41 30 to 247 55 27. A partial eclips'd of the Sun will be visible in the North Pacific Ocean on the 2nd. THE MOON. The Moon’s phases will be as follow:

THE PLANETS. Mercury and Yenus are still morning stars, and near together, the former overtaking and passing the latter at a distance of 10 minutes of arc, on the 3rd. Reaching ■the nedo on the 12th, Mercury will enter southern latitude, and pass behind the Sun a few hours later, Venus following suit on the 26th. Under these circumstances both planets •will be invisible to us this month. Mars and 1 Jupiter, also morning stars, will be in conjunction on the sth at 1 n.m., the position of Jupiter on its rising (about an hour before the sun) being R. A. 13 48 dec. S. 10. The Moon will pass Jupiter on the 28th and Mars on the 29th. Saturn, having recently passed the point of opposition to the Sun, is still favourably placed ' for observation. Owners of large telescopes will probably pay much attention to its disc, rings, and satellites when) weather is favourable. Its path will bo in R. A. from 2.6 to 1.58 and in N. declination from 9.50 to 9.11. Uranus is also well placed, being in the south-west all the evening. Its mean position is R. A. 19 36 dec. S. 22 5 in Sagittarius. It may be found on the Bth about 4 degrees north of the Moon. Neptune, in Gemini, may bo found :n the north-eastern skv. its mean position being R. A. 7 31 deo.' N. 21. It passes the meridian between 3 and 4 in the morning. CULMINATIONS. The following bright stars, as seen from Dunedin, will culminate at the hours named on the Ist of the month, and 3min 56scc earlier daily afterwards:

lower transit These times the calculated for the meridian. of Port Chalmers, and, reduced to New Zealand standard time, Ilhr oOrnin fast of Greenwich. For inland places on or about the > same latitude one minute should 1 bo addeld for every 12 miles westward. If a compass is used tor finding the meridian, allowance must be made for the variation, which is given at 16.18 east of true north. THE SATELLITES OF SATURN. Nearly half a century after the discovery of Saturn’s rings, Huyghons observed a Moon in attendance on the planet. It was revolving around it at a mean distance of 760,000 miles (about three times the distance of our Moon from us), its period being nearly 16 days. It has since been named Titan, and when suitably situated is easily found with a small telescope. In 1671 Cassini .found another, at nearly three times the ' distance of Titan, the period of which is 79 da vs. This is known as Japefcus. Subsequently he announced three others, nearer the plant than Titan. In 1789 Herschell, with his powerful instrument, discovered two others, still nearer the planet; thev are, however, very email, and rarely perceptible. In 1848 Bond, in America, and Lassell, in England, discovered an eighth satellite, the orbit if which is between Titan and Japctus; it is extremely difficult of observation, and therefore assumed to be very small. In recent years two others have been discovered by means of photography, brin ing the number of Saturnian Moons up to ton.

. d. h. m. New Moon 2 1 26 p.m. First quarter 10 4 59 p.m. Full Moon 17 11 55 a.ni* Last quarter 24 5 45 a.m. Apogee 4 5 42 a.m. Perigee 17 2 18 p.m.

h. m. Altitude. Beta Gruis ... 8 6 S 88 28 Fomalhaut ... 8 21 N 74 17 Markab ... 8 29 N 29 47 Beta Ilydn ... 9 50 S 58 3 Alpha Grucis ... ... 9 50 S 18 25