ASTRONOMICAL NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1923, Page 1

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES.

The sun will enter the zodiacal zona Libra on September 2-ltli, at 1.3-1 p.m., when day and night will be of equal length at all parts of the surface of the earth : the distance of the earth from the sun on that day will be about 93.180,000 miles.

The planet Mercury sets on September Ist at 7.01 p.m., and on September loth at 7.11 p.m. On the earlier ul these dates it will equal Alpha Cenlauri in brightness, blit as the month progresses its brilliancy will rapidly diminish. Venus is too dose to the sun to be visible during the month. Mars rises on September Ist at 6.19 a.m., and on September loth at d.4d a.m. Jupiter sets on September Ist at U.2 n..m, and on September lot It at 10.21 p.m. ; Saturn sets on these dates at 3.4 S p.m.; and 8.2 p.m. respectively. There "ill lie an occultatlon of the planet Saturn by the moon on September Kith at 11.37 a.in., lint the phenomenon will, only appear as a dose graze in the latitude of Christchurch; the moon will rise on that day at 7.21 a.ill. and "ill be only about dl hours old when it passes between the earth and Saturn. An occult atom of the planet Era mis by the moon occurs on September 2-ltb, the earth, moon, and planet being in a line at 5.42 a.in. The moon will have set half-an-hotir prior to the uceultat ion, but, owing to its proximity to the moon, the planet should bo easily picked up by observers earlier in the morning if they use good field-glasses. The apparent magnitude of Uranus will lie ». 1. or iusL beyond the range of normal vision. There "ill be a total eclipse of the sun on September 10th, but it will not lie visible in New Zealand.