ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR OCTOBER

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 223, 30 September 1916, Page 6

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR OCTOBER

Tlie S«:N is in tho constollu-tion Virgo, .psissing into .Libra at the end of Tho mrinth. His southern, declina•fcion incrf«ses during the mouth by .nearly ild"cr., his altitude at no»n heing greater by iltc same amount' • during tAio same poj-iod. • Stinspots have shown slightly Kroa.t<»r activity during the past month. On tlie SOtli «f the month there were nye uroups visible, showing »■ tendtmey in four to, increasing aetifity, this being denoted by a breaking-uj» of tho. surrounding surface into a mass of "pores" or dark o]?nnings. . • The MOOiN" in U(;r monthly circuit •of the liesivons conies-into the vicinity of the planets svnd some of the brighter st-'ir*.. ami servos as a con•venient pointer to them. She will bo nearest Mars on the early morning of the Ist. and again on the evening. of the 29th; Jupvher on the evening of the 13th; Saturn of the night and early morning of the 19th; iNeptune on the 20th; Venus on. the 24th, and Mercury on the 2f!th. Her path through" the constellations visible, in our evening fVies will be as follows:-— :As a crest-ent in Libra on the Ist, in Siiorpio on tho 2nd and 3rd, and .nearest the fine red star Antiiresr—the Heart of iihe Scorpion—on the 2nd; Sagittarius on the 4th and sth; G,apricornus on tl'.e 6th and 7tli, »nd near 'Alpha on the 6th; Aquarius on the Sth and J)th; Pisces on i>he 10th and llth;; Aries on tho 12th and 13th; Taurus en the 14th and 15th, find nearest Aldt'bavan, the bright star in Ihe ■Hyades, on t«ho 15th, after which she declines towards the north and -rises later in th^ievening. The PHASES OF THE MOON in JJfew "paland mean time:—

MRKCOTiY is'irh evening star, clow to the sun, atf the beginning of the month. Ho is in solar conjunction— inferior-on the sth of the month, and tliefoaJ'tor beconus a morning star. H-.r! becomes stationary 'amongst tho stsu-s on the 14th'; is in perihelion on thf> 16tih: at greatest western "elongation on the 21yt; m lunar conjunction on the 2fitli. and at his greatest lieliocpnti'ic latitude towards tho north on the 27th.

' VEI<TUS is a morning star during the month, bein,ir now a, very fine object in tho early morning' skies,. rising before the sun. ■ She is moving 'forward in Leo and portions of Virgo, end will bo found in conjunction with the moon on the early morning, of the 24th.

MARS is an evening star throughout the -month, moving forward in Libra and Scorpio, but by no means a conspicuous object at this time, ■owing to his great distance from us. He will be in lunar conjunction on the Ist and the 29th. ■ ' . ,-. .

JUPITER is an evening, star during the month, and by far the most conspicuous object in our eastern skies «uring the evening hours. He will be in.hmar conjunction shortly before midnight on the 12th. and will be in •opposition, or on the meridian, at midnight of i'h& 24th. He is well placed now for the telescopic observer, who may watch some of the most interesting movements'' of his four larger moons on i the following ovenine"?: 3rd. 9th, 17th. 18th. 19thV 24th, Sst.h. 2,6 th. SATURN is a morning star in Cancer, rising about 1.30 a.m. He is an con'jmiction with the moon on the eveninfr of the 19th, and is in quadra^ ture, or 90deg. front the sun's place, on the 24th. He is welt placed for the telescopic observer, his ring system being widely opened at this iiine. * . ,

URANUS is .mi evening' .star- in Capi-icornus. He is in lunar conjunction on the 7th, and becomes stationary amongst the stars on the evening of"the 26th. : ' .

NEPTUNE is « inorning star during the month., He is in lunar conjunction on the morning of the 20th, and is in quadrature on tho'29tli. . The CONSTELLATIONS for the ■Parly evening hours may be seen as follows.: —Cygnus nearest, to the "horiaon and west of the meridian with xhe Dnlphin and A^quilar—tho Eagleover it; the Great' Square of Pegasus and part of Andi"ont©da to -the east: with Pisces of these again, and v,st3ll higher in tho same region Capricornus and A'piarius. Aries, and'Triangulum, are.rising in the north-east, and over i;he east vises the Sen Monster, Cetas, find portion of the long train of Dridanus. Looking south we see the Cross veil down on the west of the Tote, foFowed by the Pointers, Alpha and Beta of the Centaur, while low down-to the east is Argo and the grant stay Cannpus. Hydrus, Toucan, and Pavo are .'tn arch over the Pole at this time, with Grus at the zenith, the two hrightt stars; Alpha Gruis and Alpha Piscis Australia,-or Fomalhant, lyittg either .north and south of the point overhead. looking west we find the Soorpifin nenring the horizon, followed by Sagittarius, Ophinchus being partly set, and so turns the starry dial, marking tho ceaseless flow of time. THE-HON. DIRECTOR. Wansanui Observatory. S'cpt. 30th, 1916. '. . *

First quarter 4clvs lOhra dOmin. p.m. 'Full moon lldys 61irs 3inin. p.m. Last .qr.ia-ter 19dys Ohrs 39mm. p.m. 3Jev.r moor 27dys 8hi-s 7min. a.m. Perigpc " 7dys lOhrs Omm..a.m! ApWre 19dvs 4hrs 42min. p.m.