THE NIGHT SKY IN OCTOBER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3004, 11 October 1911, Page 66

THE NIGHT SKY IN OCTOBER.

The Star Chart below is specially prepared for the Witness by Mr J. T. Ward, Director of the Wanganui Observatory.

The stars and other celestial bodies are shown on the above chart as they may be seen iea the sky at about 8.30 p.m. of the 15th. The observer being aware that any star rises and comes to the meridian about four minutes earlier each succeeding'evening, will see that for an earlier date than the above he must look later, and for a later date, earlier in the evening by tbu*it amount, if he would see the stars as depicted above;

in and near the zenith. Round towards-J ihe east is Oetus, the Sea Monster, which j played such an important part in the [ affairs of the above-mentioned personages. ' Thi6 constellation contains the interesting variable star which should be well watched by all observers. South-east is Eridanus uid the bright Achernar uppermost at uhis time. Argo is now. well south east, the brilliant Canopus being well up in the. sky at this time. The Cross and the bright "pointers," Alpha «nd Beta Centauri, ar© well down towards the southern meridr'an, and under the Pole, followed by the Triangle, Pavo, and Ara. West of the northern meridian is Cygnus,. and over this Aquila, the Eagle, the bright star Altair and its two followers being specially prominent. The Scorpion is 'ot getting down in the.west, and Ophiuhus and Serpens are near, the horizon. Planets.—None of the bright planets is •isible at this time, Jupiter having set earlier,' and Saturn not being yet" risen. The Moon, in Gemini at this time, is no yet risen.

The chart should be held as printed for the, northern view, upside down for the south, and oh its sides for either east ov west. In this way the compass points will coincide with the defection in which the. observer is looking, the cross at the centre being the overhead position. By comparing the above with the ehai w for September it will be seen ,that sever." constellations then visiible in the wehave now set, while others not then visib! have now made their appearance in ilk eastern sky. Turning to the north we sec Pegasus and the-" Great Square" now well on the meridian, with Andromeda, the "Ohaaned Lady" of Greek fable, forming the left band corner and lower line of stars ; Perseus, her rescuer, not yet being on the scene. Aquarius and Capricornus are over these, and Grus and Piscis Australis, with the brilliant Eomalhaut, being

A new comet, found on a photographic plate at the Lick Observatory in July, became visible to the naked eye last month, in the northern hemisphere." It has rapidly receded from us, and was at no time visible to the naked eye in these latitudes^