ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR OCTOBER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12581, 30 September 1908, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR OCTOBER.

THE SUN is in the constellation Virgo till the last of the month when he enters Libra. His declination is now south, increasing from 3 deg. on the Ist, to 14 deg. on the 31st, which signifies an increase in altitude at noon by eleven degreee. On the 6th, at 'noon, the shadow of any person* flagstaff or other elevation will be equal to its. height, at or near the latitude oi Wanganui. This affords an interesting object lesson for the older children. The month of September witnessed several extremely fine displays of solar energy. There were two very fine ceritres of activity visible on the eolajf surface from the 4th to the 16th, when, ' just as these were passing cut of sight by the sun's rotation, -several other finespota made their appearance on the incoming surface. It is interesting to note that very abnormal magnetic and electric action "was recorded at tliA." time of great solar activity. The MOON in her monthly circuit of the heavens comes into the vicinity of the planets and some of the brighter btars, and serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will be near Uranus on the evening v the 3rd; Saturn on the evening of the 9tli, .to the. . eottfck of tllG planet; Jupiter on the jnorning of the 21st; Venus on the ewenhyj.of the same diite ; Mays on flic 23rd ; . Vesta on the evening of the 23rd; Mercury on the 26th ; and the- minor planet -Ceres on the 29th. Her path, through the constellations visible in our evening skies at about ' 8 o'clock is as follows — In Sofrrpip on the Ist, Sagittarius on the 2nd, . 3rd, and 4th, Capricornus on* the sth and 6th, Aquarius on the 7th and Bth, Pisces on the Stli.and 10th, Aries on the 11th t.nd 12th, Taurus on the 13th and 14th, after which she. rifces Iftte in the evening. The PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand mean time — Days. Hra. Mins. First Quarter ... 3 5 44 j Full Moon 10 3 33 a.m. La9t Quarter ... 17 3 5 p.m. New Moor. 25 6 17 p.m. MERCURY is an evening star at the beginning of the month, and will he at his elongation east on the sth. After this date he will follow the sun to his setting at a shorter interval nig;ht ! by night; and will pass into inferior cuaj unction on the 2&th. He will be at greatest latitude south, as from the sun's centre on the, 12th, stationary amongst the stars on the 17th, in conjunction -uitli the mo6n on the 26th, and in his ascending node on the 31st. VENUS is now a morning star in the constellation Leo, and presents a brilliant spectacle in our "morning skies before sunrise. She will be in her ascending node on the 9th, and will come into conjunction with the moon on the 21st. MARS is a morning star in the constellation Leo, moving forward. Being now on th<* opposite side of the sun as seen from the earth, telescopic observations are out of the question altogether. He will , be in conjunction with the moon on the 23rd. JUPITER is a morning star at this time, also in the constellation Leo, rising before the sun. He will be in conjunction with the moon on the morning of the 21st, forming an attractive spectacle in i the eastern sky, with the moon in her ( crescent phass, and Venus about 10 degrees away to the eastward. SATURN is now the evening star, and ■ may be found in the east in the early evening,, rising in Pisces. He presents an exceedingly attractive spectacle in the telescopic field at the present time, and one that all true lovers of astronomy should not fail to see. His ring system, which was presented edgewise to us during the latter end of 1907. and the beginning -of the present year — through the planet's equator coinciding with its orbit a,nd ourselves for the time being — is now beginning to lift its unique appendage from the plane of the sun's centre to our own, and will, as the next few years go by, unfold itself trf our view. At the present time it is an object of special interest, as we -get a chance of viewing it at an angle which presents us with an estimate of its form, seen slightly tilted out of the plane. This planet will be in conjunction dith the moon on the afternoon of the 9th, and will be close to that planet when I they rise in .our evening akj. URANUS is an evening star :n: n Sagittarius, moving, forward amongst the st&,s. He comes into conjunction with t.ie 'noon on the evening of the 3rd, is in quadrature with the sun, or separated by 90deg of arc from that body on the 7th, and will again be in conjunction with the moon on the last day of the month. .VEPTUNE is a morning star in the constellation Gemini, having a direct movement :\t this lime. He will be quadrature with the Pun on the 11th., in conjunction with the moon on he 17th, and stationary nmnntpt the stars ,on the 21st. METEORS in considerable numbers were observed on the evenings of the 3rd and 4th of the past month, in the constellation Argo, a radiant near Bcta^iieing roughly found from ,i variety of observations This should he watched in future for a confirmation of this position or otherwise The CONSTELLATIONS for the middle of the month,, at about 8 p.m., are as follows- — To the north Pegasus, conspicuous by the "Great Square," the lower right hand corner being made up by Alpha Andromeda; Aquarius and Pisces Australis ■being above theafe, .the brightest of the Southern Fishes— Formalbant — being especially noticeable. In the east the sea monster— Cetus — is over Andromeda, which is just moving up to the Meridian, with Aries .higher > and over these two. Slightly south of east we see Eridamis— the River— the brightest star of which— Achervar — claims our attention to-day as it did in the days of the ancients when they named it "the last in the River." Drawing towards the west of north may be seen Aqnila — the Eagle — with the bright star Altair, the- centre of three nearly equidistant; while Under him is, the Swan and the Dolphin, while Lyra— the Harp— is near its settinsr. In the wo^f Ophinchus is going towards its setting, followed by the Scorpion and Sagittarius, the latter constellation containing, that beautifull telescopic object the Trifid Nebula. In | the south, Argo is just rising with Canopus in the bow ; above this may be seen the Toucan, containing;- that beautiful cluster 47 Tpucani. The Southern Cross, and the bright pointers. Alpha and Beta may now be seen moving down towards the southern horizon, followed by the Triangle. THE HON. DIRECTOR, Wanpanui Observatory. September 30th, 1908.