ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JANUARY 1916.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 129, 7 January 1916, Page 1

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JANUARY 1916.

THE SUN Is in the constellation Sagittarius till the 15th, when he enters Capricornus. Havng reached fci3 greatest southern declination on the 23rd ot last month, his path will now, for a time, be nearly parallel, after which it will turn to the north, losing about six degrees of latitude, and elevation at noon, during the month. Sun spots were prominent during the latter part of December; a tine group waa seen on the 17th to the 23rd, covering about 60,000 square miles cf solar longitude, while on the 27th a large single spot made its appearance in north solar latitude, en ths incoming limb, and another group of smaller nucln in south htituda on the 28th. THE MUCIN, in her montnly circuit of the heavens, comes into the vicinity of the planets, and some of the brighter stars, and serves as a convenient pointer to them. She will be nearing Mercury on the afternoon and evening of the 6th; Venus on the evening of the 7th; Jupiter on the eveninu of the 10th; datum on the morning ot the 19th; and Mercury again on the morning of the 23rd. Her path through the constellations visible in our early evening skies will be as fellows:— As a crescent in Aquarius in the Bth and 9th; Pieces on the 1 Oth, 11th and 12th; Aries on the 13th and 14th; Taurus on tha 15th and 16th; and nearest the bright star Aidebaran, of tnat constellation, on the 16th; Gemini on the 17th, 18th and 19th, and in the vicinity of the bright star pair, Castor and Pollux, on the latter dat 3; Cancer on the 20th and 21st; Leo on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th, and nearest the bright star Kegului on the 23rd, after which her path across the heavens is during the later hours of the night. PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand Mean Time:— D. H. M. New Moon 5 4 15pm First Quarter 12 3 8p m Pull Moon 20 7 b'J p m Last Quarter 28 12 spm Perigee 5 1 48 a m Apogee 17 4 36 p m ECLIPSE A paitial eclipse of tee Moon occurs on the 20th, when about onetighth oi the lunar disc will appear in tie Earth' 3 shadow. To be ssen to advantage in the Northern Hemisphere. MhKCUKY is an evening ttar during the (Lonlh. He will draw awav from the tajn during the early part of the mcntli. and will attain his greatest eastern elongation on the 21st, when he will have an anguUr distance of degrees towards the east. He will be in lunar conjunction on the afterncon ot the Oth; in conjunction with the planet Uranus on tho morning of tli3 18lb; in his ascer.ding node on the morning ot the 22nd; in perhilion on tli3 night of the 26th, and stationary amongst the stars on the 27th. • VENUS is an evening star during the moi.tli. She may be sien now well over the sstting nun during the eaily hours of the evening; she will be on Hie sjme meridian with Uiar.us on tl)2 morning of tte 7th; in conjictiou with the moon on the evening ot the sime day, and from this time onwaid will increase in brilliancy, ard s>he decrease her distance from the earth day by day, mar-; is an eve; ing star and will, at the beginning of the nicutb, be situated in tlia eonsUlUtiun Leo, near the bright star Kegulu?, he will, in fact, be within the encircling Llade of the Sickl?, a tine oyenog for the modern He will be stationary ou lb2 2nd, and in lunar conjunction on the moining of the 23rd. JUl'lTfiK is an evening star during the month, being well towards the south and past the Meridian when visible. He will be in conjunction with the Mco:i on the evening of Ihe lUtli, the Mcon passing bim about live and a-balf degrees to the north. His "Pelts'' have been extremely well seen during to is opposition, whrli is an unusually (lose one, and much interesting detail hfo been 3ccu in the large telescope at the Ut:rvatorv. The matt interesting evenings upon which to observe bis satellite phenomena—transits, eclipses and occullation. are as follows:—Oth. 7th, llth, Iblh, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 2Hh, 28th, 2'Jth and IJUth. iJAIUKN la an evening star, during the month, in tho const-. Nation Usmini. He may be ecsd cast and west oi the mcon on the evening 3of the loth and l'.Hb, His ring system may be seen to very great advantage just now, thi3 teautiful Bj3tem being well placed at this opposition, UKANUu is tin evening star in lapi ' • <•'?• He v,HI be in ti'Tijunclioj >■■ !l Venus on the 7lh, in the m '"' with flic moon in the cveni . the Bauie day, and with Mcrcur> "ii j the moining of the 18th. NEPI'UNE i j an evening star, in Career, dm mg the month, tie will lie in lunar conjunction on the 21st, ;;:!■' : n opposition with the sun on the ir.g of the 23rd.

THE CONSTEI.LAIIONS for the middle of the montb, during the earlier faouis of the evening, are placed as follows: Taurus, and the groups of the Hyades and Pleiades, cow both to the north and Aldebaran as the fine red star in the former group is well placed just now. Orion is more |towards the east, with Lepus over him. Nearer the horizon is Gemini and the two bright stars Castor and Pollux. Eridanus is well up towards tha zenith, its finest star, Acbernar, being towards the south-west. Aries, the Triangle, and Pisces are to the west of the Miudian, and over the Cetus. TbASouthern Cross is now moving upßda in the aouc-eas', followed uyHb bright pur, Alpha and Beta of We Centaur. Now prominent iu the'ecuth-easteru skies is that extremely rich belt ot stais, and nebulae, extending from the Cross to Taurus, through Argo, Canis Major and Orion.