The Early Morning Star

Chronicle (Levin), 23 April 1949, Page 2

The Early Morning Star

(By Peter Kim, Otaki) Blazing like some mythical gem, the planet Jupiter will now be risible and a fine object in the east-north-east heavens in the early morning hours. This planet revolves in an orbit at a distance of 480,000,000 miles from the sun, completing his year in 4,332 days, or ciearly twelve of our years. Its diameter is about 10 times that of our earth. ' Jupiter has four bright moons reyolving around him and going through the same chsnges as our own. Tbey are nearly all the same size, about 2.100 miles in diameter. They all revolve'in orbits at different distances and take. different times to revolve round Jupiter. On or about the midd'e of July, Jupiter' will be in opposition to the earth, when it is only 387,500,000 miles away and it will be a fine sight all night. Even sme.ll instruments -will s-how the ever-changing cloud belts and the four bright moons are al ways interes ting . Millions of neople have seen the occulation of the moon and the sun which took nlace on Friday, September 19, 1947. It was fine and cairn that evening. At that time, he is about 540,000,000 mi'es away from the earth. When he is on the other side of the -sun (this is called superior conjunction) , he will be about 572,000,000 mfes away. That is 92,000.000 miles from earth to the sun and 480,000,000 miles from the sun to Jupiter on the other side. There will be a partial eclipse of the sun next Thursday, April 28, about 2i hours after sunset in New Zealand. This echpse will only be visible in Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, the British Isles and the north-west Atlantic Ocean. The greatest phase will be about 9.15 a.m. G.M.T.