ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR NOVEMBER.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1047, 2 November 1877, Page 2

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR NOVEMBER.

The evening and the midnight sky for the month will be very brilliant. In the evening Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn will be visible in all their effulgence, following each other from west towards east in the order enumerated. At midnight Venus and Jupiter will have sunk beneath the western horizon, but as a compensation the beautiful constellation Orion will have risen above the eastern. The Sun is in the sign Scorpio, and will be until the 22nd, when he enters Sagittarius, and will have about 20deg. of southern declination. The length of day on the Ist will be about 14h 3m, on the 15th about 14h 27m, and on the 30th about 14h 56m. He ■will be on the meridian, or due north of Christchurch, on the Ist at llh 44m, on the 10th at llh 45m, on the 20th at llh 46m, and on the 30th at llh 49m. The principal planets may be easily traced by the observing of the Moon in the course of her monthly revolution round the earth. On the 7th she will be a little to the south of Venus, on the Bth to the north of Jupiter, and on the 14th to the north of both Mars and Saturn, who are not far distant from each other. The Moon will be nearest to the earth on Friday the 2nd, at greatest distance on Wednesday the 14th, and again nearest on Wednesday the 28th. " The phases of the Moon for the month will be as follows: New Moon 5d 8h 19m p.m. First Quarter 13 11 15m a.m. Full Moon 21 9 50m a.m. Last Quarter 28 9 36m a.m. Mercury will be invisible on account of his proximity to the Sun, He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 5d lh p.m., distant sdeg 51m north ; on the 12d lhp.m. in descending node; and on the ltd lh a.m. in superior conjunction with the Sun. Venus is exceedingly brilliant <;very clear evening in the westerly sky, and will continue so throughout the mouth. She will set on the Ist about lOh 34m p m , bearing about 25deg south of west; on the 15th about 10h52m p.m., bearing about 25deg south of west • on the 9d lOh a.m. she will be in conjunction with the Moon, distant ldeg 30m north; on the 9d llh p.m. will be in greatest heliocentric latitude south, from which time her brilliancy will begin to decrease ; and on the lOd 3h p.m. will be in conjunction with Jupiter, distant about 2deg 42m Mar's will be on the meridian on the Ist about 8h 16m p.m., and set the following morning about 2hsom a.m., bearing Bdeg 45m south by west; in the evening of the 4th Mars and Saturn will be in conjunction, and so near to each other as to be taken in one field of view even in a small telescope; instances of this kind do not often occur. His brilliancy is decreasing; on the 15d 9h p.m. he will be in conjunction with the Moon, distant 3deg 34m Jupiter is proceeding on his way, and passes the meridian on the Ist about 3h 21m p.m., and sets about llh p.m., bearing 23}deg south of west; on the 15th he will be on the meridian about 2h 37m p.m., and set about lOh 18m p.m., bearing 23}deg south of west, his meridian altitude varying very little during the month ; on the 9d lh p.m. he will be in conjunction with the Moon, distant ldeg 7m •north. Satuni at the beginning of the month will be close companion to Mars, indeed on the 4th they will be just so near as to avoid an occupation; for some days they will rise, come to the meridian, and set within a few minutes of each other; on the Ist they will pass the meridian about 8h 18m p.m., and set the following morning at nearly 3h a.m., bearing nearly 9deg south of west; it will be interesting in line evenings to observe how Mars is proceeding on his way eastward and northward, whilst on the 18th he will leave Saturn stationary; on the 15d lh p.m. he will be in conjunction with the Moon, distant 4deg south. Uranus will be m quadrature with the bun on the 22nd. . it Neptune is invisible during the month.