Astronomy @ Science

Progress, Volume VI, Issue 11, 1 September 1911, Page 804

Astronomy @ Science

Astronomical Notes for September.

stellation Taurus, lie is in conjunction with the Moon on the 14th.

(lion. Director Wanganui Observatory.)

Jupiter is, owing to the departure of Venus, once again the evening star, and

The Sun is in the constellation Leo till

the 18th, when he enters Virgo. Ills northerly declination decreases till the afternoon of the 24th, when at 3hr. 48min.

he crosses the equator into the Southern Hemisphere and spring commences (according to the almanac) in these latitudes. Sun spots have been seen during the past

month, in the higher solar latitudes to the south of the Sun’s equator foreshadowing the time of minimum spot activity. Observers should watch carefully at these

times, for any sudden return of the regions of active eruption to the equa-

torial zones.

The Moon, in her monthly circuit of the

heavens, comes into the vicinity of the planets and some of the brighter stars, and serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will be near Saturn on the morning of the 14th, Mars on the following morning, Mercury on the 21st, Venus on the same date, Jupiter in the evening of the 26th. Her path through the constellation visible in our evening skies, at about 8 p.m., is as follows: — Scorpio on the Ist and 2nd, and nearest the bright star Airfares on the Ist, Sagittarius on the 3rd and 4th. Capricornus on the sth and 6th, Aquarius on the 7th, Bth and 9th, Pisces on the 10th and 11th. She

will again be visible, as a crescent, in the

west, in Virgo on the 26th, Libra on the 27th, Scorpio on the 28th, and near the star Airfares on this date, and in Sagit-

tarius till the end of the month.

Phases of the Moon in New Zealand

mean time:

First Quarter . . 1 hay 3 hrs. 51 min. a.m. Full Moon . . 9 days 3 hrs. 27 min. a.iu. Last Quarter . . 1(3 days 5 hrs. 21 min. a.m. New Moon . . 23 days 2 hrs. 7 min. a.m. First Quarter .. 30 days 10 hrs. 38 min. p.m. Apogee .. . . 2 days 6 hrs. 33 min. pm.

Perigee . . . . 17 days 5 hrs. 30 min. p.m

J. OUgCU . . * . a. • V.ICAJ O *-> min. * Apogee . . . . 30 days 1 hr.s 5 min. p.m.

Mercury is an evening star at the be-

ginning of the month, rapidly passing

into the Sun, with which he will be in inferior conjunction on the 10th. His

eastern elongation, in our evening skies,

where he has been seen during the past month, under Venus, has been a fairly favourable one. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 21st, at greatest western elongation on the 26th, and

in perihelion on the same date.

Venus has been a resplendent object

in our evening skies during the past

month. She is now moving rapidly to-

wards the Sun, and will be in inferior conjunction on the 15th. It is interesting

to the telescopist to trace the slender bright crescent right up almost to the time of conjunction. She will be in

conjunction with the Moon on the evening

of the 21st.

Mars is an evening star during Sep-

tember, rising shortly before midnight, at the beginning of the month, in the con-

the only one of the bright planets visible in the early evening. His surface markings have been seen to considerable advantage on several occasions during the past month, the detail, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, changing rapidly, and several dark regions in his temperate belt being very conspicuous. Though getting well over to the west he will well repay the observer, who views him in the early evening during the month. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the evening of the 26th.

Saturn is an evening star in Taurus, and close to Mars at the early part of the mouth. He rises about midnight, so is out of the list for early evening objects. He will appear stationary amongst the stars on and about the 3rd, and will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 14th. His ring system is now well inclined to our line of vision, and forms a glorious spectacle in a telescope of fair dimensions, but the observer who wishes to view him must stay till the early morning hours to get the planet at a fair altitude.

Uranus is an evening star in Sagittarius, retrograding at present. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the sth.

Neptune is a morning star at this time in Gemini, having a forward movement. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 18th.