ASTRONOMY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 8 June 1907, Page 3

ASTRONOMY.

KOTES FOB. JUNE. The sun is in the constellation Taurus till the 21st, when he enters Gemini; his distance from the earth at noon of the Ist is 114,2U5,1)U0 miles; he reaches his most northern position in the heavens on the :!:)rd at about 2 p.m., when winter commences in (ho southern hemisphere. His declination north increases till llrj •23rd while his altitude at noon decreases by 1.5 degree, after which he will again rise higher, day by day, in our skies. Sun spots are still to be, seen of fair proportions upon (lie solar surface, but the line displays of February and March have not been repeated during the hist month.

The moon in her monthly 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 he near the planet liars shortly after midnight on the 31st; Saturn on the evening of the 4th, but not yet risen; Venus on the early morning of the Dili; the minor planet Vesta shortly after midnight on the lOtli; Mercury on the morning of the' 13th; Neptune, at the same time, not visible to us; Jupiter on the evening of the 13th; I'ranus on the evening of the 2Glh; Mars on .the morning of the 27th. She will pass through the following constellations on the evenings stated and in the order given:—As a crescent iu Cancer on the 15th, Leo on the llith, 17th and 18th and near the bright star Rcgulus in the handle of the sickle on the 17th; Virgo on the 10th, 21st ami 22nd, and close lo the bright star Spiea on the 21st to the north; Libra on the 23rd; Scorpio on the 24th and 25th and close to the bright Aivtarcs on the 24th, to the north; Sagittarius on the 20th and 27th, and Caprieorum on the 28th and 2«th.

Phases of the moon iu New Zealand, mean time:—Last quarter 3 days 4 hours 50 min p.m.; new moon 11 days 11 hours 20minii.in.; first quarter 10 days 13 hours 25min p.m.; full moon 20 days 8 hours 57min a.m.

Mercury is an evening star throughout the month in the constellation Gemini and Cancer, and may be glimpsed shortly after sunset toward the end of the month. He will be at greatest helioccntri latitude north on the oth in conjunction with Epsilon Geminorum shortly before midnight of the 12th; in conjunction with the moon on the morning of the 13th to the north; .with Neptune or the same dale a few minutes later; with Jupiter on the morning of the 10th to the 'north; at greatest elongation from the sun last on the evening of the 27th and in his descending node on ':e 30! h.

Venus is a morning star throughout ih? month i-i the constellation Aries and Taurus 'u.\;ng forward amongst the tars: she will be in' conjunction with .the moon on the early morning of the

Mars is now an evening star in the constellation Sagittarius moving forward till the flth. upon which date he will appear stationary after which he will be seen to have a retrograde path in this constellation, lie will he in conjunction with the moon on the early morning of the 31st May and -again on the morning of the 27th of .lime. He appears a very prominent object in the south-eastern sky rising above the haze about i) p.m., and situated beneath a trapeziun of stars formed by the stars Zeta. Taw, Sigma and Phi of that constellation a figure somewhat resembling a portion of (he northern Polar constellation, Ursa Minor, lie is now approaching u# rapidly, and will soon present to the telescopic observer his most favorable opportunity at this opposition, when southern observers will have the advantage of his greater altitude and consequent freedom from the disturbing effects of a view through the greater thickness of atmosphere at a lower altitude as will be the ease in the Northern Hemisphere. Jupiter is an evening star in the constellation Cieinini moving forward among the.stars. He is rapidly passing into the sun iu conjunction with which he will be in the middle of July. Observers must look him up at sunset for any of the phenomena of the satellites. He will be in conjunction with the moon on the evening of the 13th at libra Smin p.m., being then removed from the centre of our satellite by rather less than two diameters of that body to the north.

Saturn is a morning star throughout the month in the constellation Pisces moving forward amongst the stars. Observers may obtain good views of his [system of satellites, especially the fainter ones, now that the luminosity of his ring system is not apparent. Uranus is now an evening star in the. constellation Saggittarius moving retrograde amongst the stars. He will be in conjunction with the moon on the evening of the 2fith. being then removed about three diameters from the centre of that body to the south.

Xeptune is still an evening star in the constellation llemini, moving forward among the stars, lie will be in conjunction wilh the moon on the morning of the 13th. Motors may be looked for from the constellation Scorpio about the 22ml or 23rd of the month, the radiant being situated about 2deg to the north-east of that star. These meteors furnished a very line display in IS7«.

'Flic constellations for the middle of the in,mill nl about S o'clock are as r<>l-lows:--.V.,rlh: Routes, with the line star |Arctiirus: above this is Virgo and the brilliant while Spica just past the meridian. In the zenith is the Centaur, with the two bright pointers. Alpha and Beta, slightly to the south. Ea>t may be seen the Northern Crown, anil to the right of Routes, willi Hercules jn.,t vising above, wil Ibe seen Ophinelnis. the SerpentHearer, the latter constellation—the Ser-pen!-wihoh he h»lds low in both hands, standing out on either side of him. From east to south may be seen Libra and the Scorpi which contains the line red star Antares. East and west, under the Southern I'ole. may be seen the smaller constellations Indus, I'avo. Toucan, Ilydrus and Dorado, with the line rich region of Argo. The .Magellanic clouds ,uv hmh now well towards the south, low clown. The Cross now ride- high in ibe ho.ivon>. while low down in the south

the 50uth,.,.,, horizon in its passage under lb' Southern I'ole. In the west the long, trailing form of the Water Snake. H.vdra. is drawing down to its setting! kith Cr.-ter C..rvus and Leo moving v] "--h '" '!' me.--The lion. Director. Wauganui Ohservatorv.