ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3033, 1 May 1912, Page 27

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

FOR MAY, 1912.

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

THE SUN. • ® ur, s path during tho month will bo in tho constellation of Taurus r.a. 2 21 dec. N. 14 54 to r.a. 4 34 deo. N. 21 53. THE MOON. The Moon s phases will h© as follow•

THE PLANETS. Mercury will be a morning star all tha month, attaining- its greatest elongation, 26.3 west, on the 13th. It will bo in apho* lion on the 3rd, and at greatest heliocentrio latitude south on the 23rd. Venus will also bo a morning star, gradually approaching the Sun. It will be in conjunction with tho Moon on the 16th, and with Saturn on the 28th. Mars will be an evening star, crossing tho meridian about four hours after the Sun, in tho constellation of Gemini. It will be in conjunction with Neptune on the 13th, and with the Moon on the 21st. Jupiter will also be an evening star, easily _ discernible below tho constellation of Scorpio. It will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 4th and 31st. Saturn will be in conjunction with tha Sun on the 15th, and therefore will bo invisible to us. Uranus will be between 4deg and sdegf north of the Moon on the Sth, its mean position during the month being r.a. 20 25, doc. S. 19 57, in Gapricomus. Neptune will be an evening star in tho north-western sky, its mean, position being r.a. 7 33, doc. N. 21 12, in 6cmini. CULMINATIONS. The following bright stars, as seen from Dunedin, will culminate at the hours named on the Ist of tho month, and 3min 56seo earlier daily afterwards:—

These times are -calculated for tho medidian of Port Chalmers, and, reduced to New Zealand standard time, llhr 30min fast of Greenwich. For inland places on or about tho samo latitude one minute should bo added for every 12 miles westward. If a compass is used for finding the meridian, allowance must be made for its variation. which is given at 16.48 east of true north. JUPITER. Jupiter is again a conspicuous object in the evening eky, rising in the south-east soon after the magnificent constellation of Scorpio, and therefore appearing a few degrees below it. As it will continue to be visible for soma months to oome, it ig well worth tho study of anyone possessing oven a small telescope, a» such an instrument is amply sufficient to show four of the beautiful little moons which revolve around the planet, os well na the markings known as the “belts.” Tho Moon nearest tho Planet revolves in leas than two days, the next in three and a-half, the third in a week, and the fourth in 17 days approximately. They an* frequently eclipsed by passing through the planet’s shadow, and at other times disappear by ooculation. Their orbits are not all in the same plane; hence they appear variously grouped. The diameter of Jupiter is about 11 times that of the Earth, its volume is calculated to be 1200 times, and its mass exceeds thatof the whole of the other planets which, revolve around tho Sun. Its distance from tho Sun is about five times that of the Earth, and its period of revolution is nearly equal to 12 of our years.

d. h. m. Full moon ... 1 9 49 p.m. Last quarter 9 9 26 p..ra New moon 17 9 44 a.m. First quarter 24 1 41 a.ra. Full moon ... ... 31 11 0 a.in. Apogee ... ... 8 7 30 a.m. Perigee 20 4 6 p.m.

h m. s. Altitude. Precyon . 5 7 3 N 38 44 Epsilon Argus .. 5 52 56 S 76 55 Delta Argus . 6 14 26 S 81 26 Beta Argus 6 43 43 s 66 28 Alpha Hydroe .. . 6 55 20 N 52 28 Rogulus ... .. . 7 35 38 N 31 47