ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 65

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

By J. Ghigg, F.R.A.S.

FOB OCTOBER, 1911.

THE SUN. The path of the Sun during' October wild be from r.a, 12 24 dec. S 2 39 to r.a. 14 20 dec. S 14 through the constellation of Virgo and just entering that of Libra. Its longitude will bo from. 186 42 to 217' 27. THE MOON. The Moon’s phases will be as follows:

THE PLANETS. Mercury will be a morning- star, rising l about an hour before the Sun at the beginning of the month, subsequently approaching it and becoming lost in its rays. On the 22nd it will be in conjunction with the Moon, and on the 24th in superior conjunction with the Sun. On the 6th iit will have its greatest Hslio centre latitude north, and on the 30th will enter the descending nod©. Venus, being now a morning star its rising may be watched for from 2 to 3 hours before the Sun’s. On the sth it will be stationary, and on the 19th in conjunction with the Moon. It will attain its greatest brilliancy on the 23rd. Mars.—This little planet may he looked for near the meridian about 3 o’clock in the morning, from 20 to 22 degrees north. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 12th, the latter being about 4 degrees further north. In the beginning of the month it will bo passing about 4 degrees north of the star Aldebaran. Jupiter in Libra (near Alpha) is gradually approaching the Sun. Its declination on the Ist is S 15 32 and on the 31st 17 18. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 24 tin ' ■ .• Saturn, which has just passed from Taurus into Aries, comes to the meridian about 2 a.m., its declination being N 15. It will be 'in conjunction with the Moon on the 11th. Uranus, r.a. 19 50 dec. S 21 56, is in Sagittarius, and will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 2nd, stationary on the 6th, in quardature with the Sun on the 20th, and again in conjunction with the Moon on the 29th. Neptune, r.a. 7 42 dec. N 20 48, reaches the meridian about 6 a.m. It will be- in conjunction with the Moon on the 15th, in quadrature with the Sun on the 18th. and stationary on the 28th. CULMINATIONS. The following bright stars, as seen from Duned'in, will culminate at the hours named on. the Ist of the month, and 3min 56sec earlier daily afterwards:— ;b.

Those times are calculated for the meridian of Pont Chalmers, and, reduced to Mew Zealand standard time, Jlhr 30ihin fast of Greenwich. For inland places on or about the same latitude one minute should be added for every 12 miles westward; If a oompa® is used for finding: the meridian, (allowance must be made for its variation, which: is given at 16 48 east of true north. SOLAR ECLIPSE. : An annular, eclipse of the Bun will take place on the 22nd of this month, but will not be visible in the southern part of New Zealand; a very small phase of it may be observed in the North Island just before sunset. The central line, which is that, of interest, passes north, of Australia, through the East India Islands, andthence across the southern part of the Chinese Empire, towards Turkestan. -- ;

d. h. m. Full Moon ; ... 8 3 41 p.m. Last Quarter , ... 15 11 16 a.zm New Moon ... 22 3 38 p.m. First Qua rtear ... 30 6 11 p.m. Perigee .... , ... 12 6 6 p.m. Apoigee ... — ... 28 10 - 6 a.m.

h m s Altitude. Vega ... 6 5* 55 N 5.29 Sigma Sag.ttarii ... 6 21 43 S 70.36 Zeta Aquilse ... 6 35 15 . N 30.27 Altair ... 7 18 14 N 35.33 Iota Capricorn! ... 8 48 51 N 61.24 Epsilon Pegasi . . .;. 9 11 18 N 34.43