ROUGH ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 3648, 31 October 1874, Page 2

ROUGH ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

NOVEMBER, 1874. 1. The Sun.—Small groups of spots are generally to be seen on the disc. 3. The Moon will be at its greatest distance from the earth on the morning ot the Bth, and at its least on the morning of the 23rd. The phases will occur as follows New moon on the 9th at 4.55 p.m. ; first quarter on the 17th at 1.15 p.m. ; fail moon on the 24th at 4.55 a.vn. ; last quarter on the 31st (i.e,, on the Ist of December) at 5,50 a.m. 3. Mercury will be visible in the south-west shortly after sunset at (.he beginning of the mouth, and a little to the south of east shortly before sunrise at the end of tiie month. 4. Venus will attain her greatest brilliancy on the 4th. She is now visible all daylong, but is somewhat troublesome to find. On the 12th of t.,e mouth she will be pretty close to the moon. Any one who will on that date gaze steadily at the moon in the afternoon will hardly fail to see the planet near her. Venus now throws a well marked shadow. 5. Mars is a morning star, but from its great distance from us is hardly worth looking

6. Jupiter is also a morning star, and maybe seen in the east' shortly before sunrise. . 7. Saturn is still admisably situated for observation. Its steady golden yellow light will eause it to be recognised with the greatest readiness by any one who will face the western quarter of the sky at about 10 p.vn. and look at the region half-way between the horizon and the zenith.

8. Uranus and Neptune are in a very fair position for observation by those who like to take the trouble to look for them with the aid of a Star atlas and a nautical almanac. The former is a morning star, the latter an evening star.

FIRST MAGNITUDE STARS. If we stand facing the south at about 10 p.m. at the beginning of the month, wo shall see low down, just to the left of south, the Southern Cross. The lowest and brightest of the stars forming this constellation is Alpha Cnicis ; the star somewhat higher up than this, and a short distance io the righ:. of it is Bela'Crucis. -To the right of south comes Beta Centaviri, and some distance to the right of this is Alpha Centauri, a bright double star. If we now look a long distance to the left of the Cross, and considerably higher up. we shall see a very bright white star: this is Canopus. A little to the left of south, but very high in the sky is another white star: this is Achrnar. If we now face round to the east, we shall see, at no great elevation. Sirius, the brightest of the stars. To the left of S rius may be seen three bright stars in a line (Orion’s Belt). Above these is a bluish white star : this is Rigel. Similarly situated below the Belt is the red RtarPetelgauss. _ To the left of the cons tel Ution Orion there is a group of stars somewhat like the letter A, At the bottom of thi» group is another bright red star : this is Aldebaran. The four stars forming a Urge trapezium to the left of north, are called the Square of Pegasus Finally, if we turn to the west, we shall see high up, far above Saturn, and somewhat to the north, the moderately bright star Fomalbaut. Altair will be seen iust setting a little north of west.

Mj A. H, Ross, of this town, has ingeniously ntted some of his excellent binoculars with sunshades of colored glass. These field glasses, besides being just as useful as similar ones for ordinary purposes, will give the possessors of them an opportunity of getting a very good view of the coming Transit of Venus. Large sunspots, too, may be seen by the aid of glasses thus armed.