MARCH OF THE PLANETS.

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19639, 27 July 1935, Page 7

MARCH OF THE PLANETS.

CURRENT OBSERVATIONS. eahth’s Annual path. i The march of the planets, or wandering stars as the ancients called •them, presents an interesting study In •the evening sky at present. Mars, In the constellation of the Virgin Is fairly close to the bright star Splca, .while Jupiter Is still closer t,o the star Alpha In the constellation Libra. Both are noticeable pairs in the north-west about 9 p.m. -Mars and Splca are red and blue respectively and are not greatly different In brightness, while Jupiter and' Alpha Librae are not. so well matched, Jupiter being very much the brighter of the pair. The two lie •about 15 degrees nearer the Zenith than Mars and Splca.

During the next few weeks, both planets will draw away from their fixed-star neighbours and so reveal their "wandering" nature. Mars being very much nearer the sun than Jupiter, moves faster, and will appear to overtake and pass ilia latter on August 27. in the meantime, I lie earth is speeding along in Its orbit too, and much faster than Mars. By the end of November it will have moved so far around its annual path that it will bring the sun between ourselves and Jupiter, and during the early part of next year will do the same with Mars. The apparent effect Is that the sun catches up on these planets. Re appears to be doing this at present with Venus, the “evening star” but the reason in this case is quite different. Venus is closer to the sun than we are, and moves still faster than the earth. Sho is now wheeling around in a westerly direction between us and the sun, and will presently pass (on September 8) nearly in front of him, becoming in a few days a conspicuous object on Hie western side of the sun. Venus will then become flic "morning star” again.

Telescopically. Venus presents at present the appearance of Hie moon when about five days old. The beautiful phenomenon of the phases of Venus, first seen in Galileo’s “optik tube.’ was one of the chief proofs of the Copcrniean theory that the sun and not. the earth was the centre of tlio planetary system.