ASTRONOMICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1920, Page 2

ASTRONOMICAL.

The night sky during the months of June and July presents many features of interest to those who lift up their eyes to the heavens. Like a stupendous arch of pale light, the Milky Way spans the entire vault of the universe. If tho observer stands in some elear space and gazes aloft when the clouds and moon , are absent, he will see this softly gleaming splendour in all its majestic pro portions, stretching from the eastern horizon, where the stars of Aquila, the Eagle, are rising, to the west, where the giant star Sirius is setting 'and flashing primatie colors through the lower stratum of our atmosphere. High overhead, near the very crest of the great arch, the Southern Cross stands erect, flanked on the left by the brilliant "pointers," Alpha and Beta of the Centaur, and on the right by tho strange nebuleus region surrounding the star Eta Argus. Partly encompassing the Cross are the many bright stars of the Centaur, and further westward the vast constellation known as the Ship Argo spreads nearly to the horizon. Low down in the south blazes the.great Canopus, the leading luminary in Argo, and, only second to Sirius in brilliame among the entire celestial host. Turning eastward, the great divisiou in the Milky Way, and also its most luminous portion display themselves. The contrast between the pearly white glow of the two vast branches of the Galaxy and the dark rifts between them is very striking. Where the stars of Sagittarius, The Archer, shine, lies what Sir John Hersehel considered the nearest part o f the Milky Way to this earth. Just above this the stars forming the Scorpion are situated, with the bright red Antares conspicuous among the rest. This fine star has a small green-colored companion, too faint to be seen without telescopic aid. Many surprising and beautiful objects are to be seen in this region with the aid of a good instrument. Three of tho principal planets are ijn view just now. Jupiter shines rathe, 'low in the west in the constellation of the Crab. Saturn, the famous ringed planet, is higher up in the Lion; and Mars, brilliantly red, appears among the stars of the Virgin and close to ths bright star Spica, the leader of that constellation. To anyone who will mark the position of Mars in relation to Spier*, the real motion of the planet will become evident in the course of a few evenings as it travels eastward upon its orbit round the sun. It is expected that the local Astronomical Society's observatory will be ready for useby the middle of July. Good progress is being made by Mr. A. W. Burrell with the construction of the dome, and word has been received that the instruments purchased in Sydney are in the hands o.f the shippers. The first annunal meeting of the Society will be notified shortly.