ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JANUARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7932, 4 January 1906, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JANUARY.

The SUN is in the constellation Sagittarius until the 20th, on which dale iio enters Capricornus. He will be in perigee (shortest distance from the Earth) on the morning of the 4th. jßis southern declination diminishes throughout the mouth from 23 1 deg. to 17.5deg, likewise bis altitude in the southern hemisphere, at trno noon, by the same amount. Snn spots have deeiiued somewhat during the past month, the very flue train which was in evidence during the middle of November e>:!ei; ]iug over nearly three-fourths of the solar diameter, with a few exceptions of strousily-roarked um br:'.e, I ccame again merged in the so!;ir brilliance on its last return of ei;iial •■'•ngitude. During the present seißon a good watch should be k; pt on all Guo days, as there is no paying when another fine exhibirifin of solar energy may be seen. Tht* MOON. i'i her monthly circuit of the heavens, comes into the vicinity of the planets and many of the brightest slms and serves as a convenient pointer to them She will be near Jupiter on the evening of tho Gth, to the south of the planet; Neptune ou the morning of the IOHi, to the so-ith, Uranus, on the 23rd. to the north; Mercury on the evening of the same day, to the north; Venus on tho following evening, to tho north; Saturn on the 27th. to the north; and Mars on the 28th, to the south. She will pass through the loliowing constellations in the order mentioned Arif.-'. 4ih and sth; TauraJ, Gth. 7th an<J Bf.h; Gemimi, 9ch and ,10th; Ciiuct-r, 11th eud 12i,h; after which sho ri>("H late in the evening. Phases o! the Moon in New Zealand mean (civil) time:—First quarter, 3 days 21ir 22min a.m.; lull moon, 11 days 4hr G;nin a.m.; hist quarter, 18 days Bhr 18min a.m.; new moon 25 days 4hr 39mia a.m. MERCURY is a morning star throughout the month in the consieflacious Scorpio and Sagittarius, at greatest western elongation on the ctternoon of the stb. He will be in conjunction with Uranus on the afternoon of the 17th, in his descending nodo (passing south) ou the 18th, in conjunction with the Moon on the evening of ths 23rd, and at his nearest to the Sun on the 28th. VENUS is a morning star at the beginnice of the month, rising ahoftly before the Sun in the constellation Sagittarius She is in conjunction with Uranus on the morning of the Gth, passing north of the more distant nlanet oy only one-fifth the apparent diameter of the Moon, a most interesting phenomenon had it taken place at a time when these bodies had a greater angular distance form the Sun. She will be in conjunction with the Moon on the evening of tho 21tb, the Moon passing the planet 2.9 dog to the north, both objects be ing too near the Sun to te seen. Venus will begin to draw away from the Sun during tho end of February and beginnng ofMarcn, and may be looked for in the west at that titqe. MARS is still an evening star in the constellation Aquarius, moving rapidly forward amongst the stars. His near approach to Saturn during the latter end af the past month presented an interesting sight to naked-eye observers. He will be in conjunction with tho Moon on the 29th, the planet being 2,sdeg to the north at the time. His rapid movement amongst the stars at this time affords an interesting subject for the naked-eye watcher. During January he will move forward through an arc of 20deg of celestial measurement. JUPITEti is now bv far the most conspicuous object in our evening skied. Shining brilliantly in the north-west, 'n the early evening between the groups Pleiadts and Hyados and moving backward over the former and more westerly constellation, his aspect must attract the eye of tho most casual observer of the heavens. In the telescope the most remarkable features consist in the substantial dark band (the great southern equatorial belt), which at once catches the eye and the wealth of detail in its northern temperate region when one catches it in moments of steady/ air and good definition. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the evening of the 6th, and becomes stationary amongst the stars on the 22nd. Transits of his satellites across the disc may be looked for on the following evenings:— sth, 7th, 14th, 16th, 21st, 23rd, 28th and 30th. Eclipses and occultations may be looketf for on the Gth, 13th, 18th, 20tb, 21st, 22nd, 25th, and 29th of the month. SATURN is still an evening star, but getting low down in the sky. He may be easily found slightly west of Mars, these two planets being the most noticeable J objeota in this direction and in the i constellation Aquarius. His path is j a slowly forward one amongst the i stars. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 27th at about 7hr 30min morning, whon an ap- ( parent distance of 31 minutes of arc i separates the two bodies. The ring ! system of this unique planet is now rapidly rising into our plane of vision, and we shall notice a considerable change in this interesting feature at his next return to our evening skies. URANUS is now a morning star in tho constellation Sagittarius, moving forward. He will bo in conjunction with Venus on the morniug of the 6th, with Mercury n the evening of the 17th, and with the Moon on the morniug of the 23rd. NEPTUNE is an evening star in Gemini, with a retrograde movement. He is in conjunction with the Moon on the morning of tho 10th, being 2.sdeg to the north. METEORS.—There are no welimarked radiants visible in our hemisphere during this moath. The CONSTELLATIONS for tho middle of the mouth at 8 o'clock in the evening are as follow: —North, Taurus and the Pleiades, on tho ■ Meridian; the Hyades, with the brilliant Aldebaran slightly to the east, Orion and Lepus to the east and higher, while nearer the horizon is Gemini, containing the two right {Stars Castor and Pollux and Cancer and Crab, with the pretty cluster Praesepe—the Bee-hive. To the south-east is the long trailing form of Hydra, the Water ' Snake, lying along the horizon, in the zenith

may be seen the winding shape of Eriadnus the Rover, with the bright star Achernar in the south-west. Aries and the Triangle, with Pisces, may be seen west of the meridian, with Oetus, the Sea Monster, lying above the latter. In the south-east the Cross and the Pointers are seen emerging from lower transit, with the fine constellations Argo ana Casi9 Major bearing awa.v to the east and noitb, the whole forming, together with Orion, a remarkably fine helt of brilliant stars and nebulous regions of light stretohmg over twothirds of the sky, tho richest portiou visible in either hemisphere. To anyone possessed of a good pair of binoculars I would say take them out on the first etar-lit night, when the moonlight is not obtrudiug itself, and examine this fine zone of celestial gems; it will surely come as a revelation, more especially so if the glasses are good and of largo aperture. When the observer comes to Orion let him examine well the lice of stars above the line of three, the "belt," and in this, termed the "Sword of Orion," he will find a delicate patch of cloudy light. This is the noted Nebula of Orion, a wonderful object, and one that all who have access to telescopes of large size should hasten to ooserve. BON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Observatory. December 30, IUOS.