ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR JUNE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8454, 3 June 1907, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR 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 94,208,000 miles; he reaches his most northern position in the heavens on the 23rd at about 2 p.m. when winter commences in the southern hemisphere. His declination north increases till the 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 bejseen of fair proportions upon the solar surface, but the fine displays of February and March have not been repeated during the last 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 be near the planet Mars shortly after midnight on the 31st; Saturn on the evening of the 4th, but not yet risen ; Venus on the early morning of the 9th; the minor planet Vesta shortly after midnight of the 10th; Mercury on the morning of the 13th Neptune, at the some time, not visible to us; Jupiter on the evening of the 13th; Uranus on the evening of the 26th; 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 in Cancer on the 15th; Leo on the 16th, 17th and 18th, and near the bright star Regulus in the handle of the sickle on the 17th; Virgo on the 19th, 21st and 22nd, and close to the bright star Spica on the 21 st to the north; Libra on the 23rd; Scorpio on the 24th and 25th and close to the bright Antares on the 24th, to the north; Sagittarius on the 26th and 27th, and Capricorum on the 28th and 29th. Phases of the moon in New Zealand mean time:—Last quarter' 3 days 4 hours 50 min p.m.; new moon 11 days 11 hours 20min a.m.; first quarter 19 days 13 hours 25min p.m.; full moon 26 days 8 hours 57min a.m. MERCURY is an evening star < throughout the month in the constellation uemini and Cancer and may be glimpsed shortly after sunset toward the, end of the month.. Pie will, be at greatest 'heliocentri latitude north pn the 6th in conjunction with Epsilon Geminorum shortly before midnight of the 12th; in conjunction with th.3 moon on the morning of the 13th to the north; with Neptune on the same date a few minutes later; with Jupiter on the morning of the 16th to the north; at greatest elongation from the sun last on the evening of the 27th and in his descending node on the 30th. VENUS is a morning star throughout the month in the constellation AricS and Taurus moving forward amongst tjhe stars; she will be in conjunction with the moon on the early morning of the 9th. MARS is now an evening star in the constellation Sagittarius moving forward till the 6th, upon which date he will appear stationary, after which he will be seen to have a retrograde path in this constellation. He will ba in conjunction with the moon on the early morning of the 31st May ' and again on the morning of the 27th of Jun-\ He appears a very prominent object in the south-eastern sky rising above the haze about 9 p.fn> 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 the northern Polar constellation, Ursa Minor. He is now approaching us rapidly, and will soon present to the telescopic observer his most favourable opportunity at this on-jositiOn, when southern observers \.■ ill 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 case in the Northern Hemisphere.

JUPITER is an evening star in the constellation Gemini moving forward amongst the stars. He is rapidly passing into the sun in conjunction with which he will be at the middle of July. Observers must look him up at sunset for any of the phenomena of his satellites. He will be in conjunction with the moon on the evening of the 13th at shrs Bmin 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. He will be in conjunction with the moon on the night of the 4th, and will be seen near that body when they rise together on the morning of the sth. He will be in quadrature or removed 90 degrees of angular measurement from the sun's centre on the 20th. URANUS is now an evening star in the constellation Sagittarius moving retrograde amongst the stars. He will be fin conjunction with the moon on the evening of the 26th being then removed about three diameters from the centre of that body to the~so'uth. NEPTUNE is still an evening star in the constellation, Gemini, moving forward among the stars. Ha will be in conjunctioon with the moon on the morning of tho 13th. METEORS may be looked for from the constellation Scorpio about the 22nd and 23rd of the month, the radiant,;being situated about 2deg. to the north-east of that star. These meteors furnished a very fine display in 1878. THE CONSTELLATIONS for the middle of the month at about 8 o'clock are as follow:—North: Bootes, with the fine star Arcturus; above this is Virgo and the brilliant whito Spica just past the meridian. In the zenith is the Centaur, with the two bright pointers, Alpha and Beta, slightly to the south. East may bo seen the Northern Crown, and to tho right of Bootes, with Hercules just rising above, will be seen Ophinchus, the Serpent-Bearer, the latter constellation—the 'Serpent—which he holds low in both hands, standing out on either side of him. From east to south may be seen Libra andjthe Scorpion, which contains the fine red star Antares. East and west, under' the Southern Pole, may be seen the smaller constellations Indus, Pavo, Toucan, Hydrus, and Dorado with the fine, rich region of Argo. The Magellanic Clouds are both now well towards the south, low down.

The Cross now "fides in the heavens, while low down in the south may be seen Cahopus preparing to skim the southern horizon in its passage under the Southern Pole. In the west the long trailing form of the Water Snake, Hydra, is drawing down to its setting, with Crater, Corvus, and Leo moving closely to the same. THE HON. DIRECTOR.. Wanganui Obervatory. May 31st, 1907.