ASTRONOMICAL

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1927, Page 4

ASTRONOMICAL

Tin; planet Mercury rises on Angus) Ist. at 0.10 a.in. and on August 15th. at ii.l sn.in.; >t will be found, well to tn•• north of cast, but towards the end tlm month it will he too close to the sun to be visible. Venus nets on August Ist. at 8.31 p.m. and on August 15th. at 7.51 p.m.; Mars sets on the above dates at 7.8 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively. .Jupiter rises on August Ist. at U.-ltl p.m. and on August loth, at 8.12 p.m.; Saturn sets on these dates at 2.34 a.in. and 1.40 a.in. respectively. There will he an occultation of the planet .Saturn by the moan on August <lh. the earth, moon, and planet being in a line at ti. 35 p.m. ; the phenomenon will be visible at a close gaze in -the latitude of Christchurch. Saturn is at .present excellently placed for observation; though the slowest-moving of the planets visible to the naked eye. its motion from weak to week may he easily traced h\ watching its position relative to the stars in Scorpio. The planets .Jupiter and Uranus will he in conjunction on August Jfilh, when they will lie less than a degree apart ; Uranus will' he lying to the north of her bright, companion and should he easily seen in a field-glass. The planet Venus has been an object of great beauty in the western sky during the past two months owing to its extreme brilliance; it will reach the zenith of its brightness on August sth. when its apparent magnitude will he —4.2. when means tliat the light reflected to us from its surface is about 120 times as intense as tliat received from a star of the first magnitude.