GLORY OF THE STARS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1933, Page 8

GLORY OF THE STARS

YEAR’S CHIEF EVENTS.

RECORD NUMBER OF COMETS.

■ The past year has been noteworthy astronomically on account of a number of important astronomical events and some remarkable discoveries. The steady advancement of our knowledge of the outer regions of space has been prosecuted at the main research observatories of the world, the mathematicians and physicists have continued their theoretical studies of the constitutions and natures of the stars, and in the course of routine work conducted by amateur and professional astronomers many ■ important new objects have been detected.

Perhaps the most outstanding achievement of the year arose from the purely routine work of searching photographically for new minor planets, which are found clustering mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiteri One minute body was detected for the first time in March, and proved to come nearer the Earth than any other .object except the Moon and an occasional comet.

At its nearest approach the Delporte planet is only 10,000,000 miles from us, only three-quarters of the distance of Eros, which had been regarded for many years as the most important asteriod. After holding this important position for five weeks the tiny planet was dethroned by another discovery, at the time only 6,000,000 miles distant. If the computers are correct the latest asteroid will be only 2,000,000 miles from, the Earth in 1940, when it will provide astronomers with an unrivalled opportunity of determining its parallax and thereby ascertaining with greater precision the distance of the Sun—a fundamental measure in astronomy.

The next important feature of 1932 was also a double event. The meeting of the Intemational Astronomical Union, held this year in the United States, was closely followed by a total eclipse of the Sun, visible in Canada and the States, and it can be imagined that very few indeed of those who had journeyed from many countries to discuss the advancement of the science missed the opportunity of viewing the somewhat rare phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. Fortunately, at most stations the astronomers were rewarded with splendid views of this interesting occurrence. In the realm of comets the past year was a record one. No fewer than, nine periodic comets were expected to return to the Sun’s neighbourhood, and of these five, and possibly six, have already been detected. At the same time seven entirely new objects have been discovered, bringing the total number of comets discovered in the year to 13, two more than in the previous record year, 1925, when 11 comets were discovered. Of these comets, some are worthy of particular notice. Comet Geddes, found by a New Zealand amateur astronomer, proved to-be an interesting short-period comet, returning to the Sun’s neighbourhood every nine years. While astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere were watching this object their contemporaries in the Northern Hemisphere were provided with another bright comet, which passed very close to the Earth’s orbit on September 17. It was expected that a shower of meteors would be witnessed as a result of this close passage, but clouded skies at the critical time prevented these being observed in New Zealand.

The 13th cometary discovery of the year appears from the nature of its movement to be the famous Temple’s Comet, which had not been seen since its discovery in the year 1866. If, when the orbit of the new body has been computed, this proves to be the case, astronomers will indeed have cause for satisfaction, as the nature of this orbit will throw additional light on the mystery of the lost Leonids, the wonderfully rich meteoric shower associated with Temple’s Comet

The expected meteoric shower of November 17 was a fiasco, so far as this country was concerned, and also in Australia. Early indications were that the shower was richer than it has been in former years, and great public interest was evinced in the expected display, but on the morning of the 17th clouds prevented any of the celestial rockets being observed. MaiL advice from America reveals that the best display occurred there on the 16th, in keeping with what had been observed in this country, and it is reported that 166 meteors were seen at one American station. During the daylight hours that morning the sky was watched for meteors and, remarkable to state, five objects were observed, in spite of the brilliant 'sunlight. The expected shower was therefore probably at its maximum at about the predicted time. The Sun is in the constallation Sagittarius during January, its noonday altitude at Auckland declining from 76deg. to 70deg. during the month. The Moon,

in the course of its monthly circuit of the heavens, will be in conjunction with the various planets as follows: Mars, 17th, 2am- Jupiter, 17th, 6 asn.; Venus, 24th, 8 p’m.; Mercury, 25th, 6 p.m.; and Saturn,' 26th, 1 P-m. ' . ‘ All the planets at present visible are to be found in the morning sky. Mars in continuation of its rapid eastward passage through the sky is steadily drawing closer to Jupiter, shining brilliantly in Leo. Further east the lustre of Venus heralds the breaking of day. Mercury is also a morning star, drawing steadily closer to the Sun during the month. Saturn, which will be in conjunction with the Sim on the 27th, is at present hidden in the solar rays.. = ■ .