ROUGH ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 3622, 1 October 1874, Page 2

ROUGH ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Fob the use of Star-gazers.

OCTOBER, 1874.

1. The Sun.—At the beginning of the month tbe Sun will be in the constellation Virgo, and at the end in Libra. The photosphere of the gun is very quiescent at present, but occasional groups and small spots are to be seen. 2. The Moon will be nearest to the Earth on the morning ef the 11th, and furthest from it on the afternoon of the 25th. The phases will occur as follows Last quarter, Ihr a.m. on the 3rd. New Moon, lOhrs 23min p.m. on the 10th First quarter, 12.51 a.m. on the 19th. Full Moen, 6.22 p.m. on the 25th. There will be a total eclipse of the Moon on the evening of the 25th. _ A part only of the phenomena will be visible in Dunedin, as the Moon rises during the progress of the eclipse, and will have attained to no great altitude even at the time Of the last contact with the shadow. The following are the approximate times at which the different appearances will t ike place First contact with penumbra, 4hrs smin p.m • first contact with the shartow, shrs 3min • beginning of total phase, 6hra 21min; end of total phase, 6hrs slmin ; last contact with the shadow, Bhrs 12min; last contact with the' penumbra, 9hrs lOmin: magnitude of the eclipse (Moon’s diameter a: 1) 1J nearly. At Greenwich auto only part of will be visible, as

the Moon sets while she is partially eclipsed. Consequently, although the view we shall have of the eclipse will not be altogether a sati-fac-tory one, we shall see it better than people in England will. 3. Mercury will be well situated for observation about the 24th, when it will be at its greatest elongation, B. 24deg. At that period it will be in the constellation Libra. It may be seen about half-an-hour after sunset, about lOdegs. south of the sun’s track.

4. Venus has now reached its greatest E. elongation, and will day by day appear to move closer to the sun till the 9th of December, when the long-looked-for transit of the planet across the Sun’s disc will take place. Venus is now visible in broad daylight, and towards the end of the month it will be quite easy to see it at noonday in favorable weather. It is, unfortunately, almost impossible to give any very tangible directions for finding this planet in the daytime; we may say, however, in a general way, that it should be looked for in the middle of the day at the end of the month at a very considerable distance to the right of the Sun, and nearly level with it, so to speak. Some steady staring' in that direction will be nearly sure to make it stand out distinctly as a beautiful white point on the back-ground of the sky. On tljg 15th of the month it may be looked for in the daytime pretty close to the Moon. Though Venus has not yet reached its greatest brilliancy, it easts a very distinct shadow. This can be readily observed by anyone who will take s the trouble to hold a dark object between the planet and a light-colored wall. If the object be held not too far away, a distinct shadow of it will be perceived on the wall. In the telescope Venus now appears like a half moon ; but, as a rule, owing to its excessive brightness, no markings are distinguishable on it. Venus will be extremely close to Antares early on the evening of the 16th.

s'. Mars is now visible in the mornings, but it is scarcely worth looking at just now, as it is too far away from the Earth to appear very bright' to us. It may be looked for in the constellation Leo. Its well-known ruddy color will cause it to be quite easily identified. On the fiist of the month it will appear to t°rm with Alpha and Beta Leonis (Regulus and Denebola) an obtuse angled isosceles triangle.

6. Jupiter will be unfavorably situated for observation durifag this month. It will be in conjunction with the Sun on the 6th. 7. Saturn is still favorably placed. It is in the constellation Capricorn. It will be due north, high up in the sky at about 8 p.m., at the beginning of the month. 8. Uranus is now a morning star; it is in the constellation Cancer.

'9. Neptune.—Last month we promised to give some directions for finding this planet. The weather, however, has been so unfavorable for some time past that the necessary observations have not been made.

10. Coggia’s comet is now becoming very faint.' On the 30th ultimo it was in the 11 Flyon the line joining Zeta of that constellation with Alpha ot the Chamaeleon, about one-fourth of the length of the line from the former star. It can just be discerned with a good, opera-glass. Traces of a tail may still be seen, and the object, though so indistinct, has still a considerable apparent diameter.