ASTRONOMICAL

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1927, Page 4

ASTRONOMICAL

The planet Mercury rose on January Ist at 3.10 a.m. and rises on January loth at 3.55 a.m. ; it will be in superior conjunction with tho sun on January 28th. It will riso well to the south of east and as its apparent magnitude is—o. 3 on the earlier of the two above dates, it should be easily picked up during tbe first few days of the month. Venus set on January Ist at 8.22 p.in. and on January loth at 8.2 G p.m. ; its apparent magnitude during the month will be—3.4. Mai's sets on the above dates at 0.38 a.m. and 11.24 p.m. respectively ; its distance from the earth will increase by about 27,000,000 miles during the month, and its apparent magnitude will fall from—o. 4 to plus 0.4. Jupiter set on January Ist at 10.8 p.m. and on .January loth, at 9.20 p.m.; Saturn rises on these dates at 2.10 a.m. and 1 20 a.in. respectively. ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN. There will be an annular eclipse of the Sun on tbe morning of the 4th of January. The track of the annulus passes over the northern extremity of New Zealand. At Cape Maria van Diemen and North Cape the annular e,( ius3 will take place at G. 24 a.m., and at Russell the phenomenon will be one minute later, reaching Cape Runaway at. 6.28 a.m. At Christchurch, a partial eclipse of magnitude 0.88 will be visible, commencing at about half past five >n

the morning, and ending approximately two hours later. ECLIPSES IX 1927. There will he five eclipses during 1927, three of the Sun, and two of the Moon. I. An annular eclipse of the Sun on Januarv I. 11. A total eclipse of the Moon on June 15, the ending of which will be visible generally in the Pacilic Ocean and Australia. 111. A total eclipse of the Sun on June 29. invisible in the Southern Hemisphere. This will he the first total eclipse of the Sun visible in England since the year 1724. IV. A total' eclipse of the Moon on December 8. Y. A. partial eclipse of the Sun, December 2-1. There will also bo a transit of .Mercury over the sun’s disc on November