ROUGH ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 3958, 1 November 1875, Page 2

ROUGH ASTRONOMICAL NOTES

NOVEMBER, 1875, 1. The Sun is still increasing his south declination, though not quite so rapidly as he did during t ictober ; it now takes him nearly fouir days to move a degree further fiom the equator. The dock is now 16min. 17sec. behind the Sun ; at the end of the mouth this difference will he reduced to about eleven minutes. The remarks made last month with regard to sunspots still hold good, and nhed not be repeated. 2. The Moon’s phases will take place as follows: First quarter on the 6th at 9hr 22min. p.m. Full Moou on the 16th at 9hr Omiu p.m. Lust quarter on the 20th at Ohr 7miu p.m. New Moon on (he 28tli, at Hhr I hum a.rn. Our satellite will be in apogee on tho 2nd, at about 1.30 mm.; in perigee on the IGth, at about 3 p.m; and in apogee again on tho 29th, at about 9 a.m. 3. Mercury will be badly placed for observadon dunng the whole of the month. On the 15th he will bo at his greatest elongation W., only 19Jeg. 17min. ; besides this he will be some 9ihg. north of the Sun. He will therefore be practically invisible during the whole of the month, 4. Venus is still lost in the I earns of the Sun, but towania the clone of the mouth she will be visible near the horizon, somewhat to the south of the Sun’s truck, shortly after sunset. However she will certainly not be worth looking at through a telescope. < m the 30th ne Will pass the meridian Ihr. ISmin. after the Sun, 6. Mars is growing “ small by degrees, and

beautifully ISss.” His apparent diameter is now only some 11 seconds less than half that which he had in June last. He is now moving very rapidly to the east among the stars, and it is interesting to watch his progress from night to night, and, with the telescope, even from hour to hour. He passes the meridian at about five minutes to six p.m. Sifn *?. function with the Sun on the sth, after which he will be a mornmg star; but it will be many weeks before it Of him PoßS,bl ® t0 gefc a decßnt telescopic view 7. Saturn has commenced his direot march towards the east among the stars: now is the time to take a look at his rings, for, laidI aid i ast “ ontl b “any years must m h ° . WIU ***** be well placed stn oo a Vle . w them. On the evening i ? 2ad a . n interesting and rather unusual astronomical occurrence will take place— Mars and Saturn will be in conjunction in right ascemion, with aj distance of declination of only 13sec. between them. They will therefore he visible together in the same field of the telescope, even if a moderately high power be used. It will be well to observe the conjunotion as early in the evening as possible, o U ranus ls . s tdl a morning star. ,v, e Pt u n Q is a little to the west and south of the spot he occupied last month.