ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8527, 3 September 1907, Page 3

ASTRONOMICAL NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER.

(Published by Special Arrangement.) Th.2 SUN is in the constellation Leo "till the 19th when he enters Virgo. He crosses the equator from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere on the afternoon of the 24th, when Spring begins on this side of the earth. His declination changes from B,6deg. north on the Ist to 2.4 deg. south en the 30th, a difference of lldeg., and his altitude at noon increases by a like amount during the same period. Several fine displays of solar energy were observed during the beginning of August, and a close watch should be kept up by all teiescopists on all fine days. 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 Neptune on the morning of the 3rd; Jupiter on the sth, shortly after midnight, to the north; Venus en the Bth, in the early morning, to the north; Mercury about six hours after on the same day, to the north; Uranus on the evening of the lGth, to the north; Mars on the evening of the 16th and 17th, to the north; baturn on the evenings of the 21st and 22nd, to the south, and Neptune again on the 30th. She will pass through the con-stellations-mentioned as follows: —As a crescent in Virgo on 11th and 12th; in Libra on the 13th; Scorpio on the 14th and 15th, and to the north of the bright Antares on the former date; Sagittarius on the 16th and 17th; Capricornus on the 18th to the 20th, and to the south of the pair Alpha Capricorni on the evening of the 18th; Aquarius on the 21st; Pisces on the 22nd and 23rd, and Aries on the 24th to the 26th, after which she rises late in the evening. PHASES OF THE MOON in New Zealand mean time:—New moon 8 days 8 hrs 34min a.m.; first quarter, 15 days Shrs lOmin p.m.; full moon, 22 days 9 hrs 4 min a.m.; last quarter, 30 days 10 hrs 7 min a.m. MERCURY is a morning star, slightly in advance o e . the Sun in the beginning of the month, but passes him ana sets after towards the end of the momh, when he may be picked up low down near the place of the Sun's setting. He will be in greatest heliocentric latitude north on the 2nd, in conjunction with Venus on the morning of the 4th, when the two planets are separated by only 26 minutes of arc. This would afford a most interesting opportunity of comparing the brilliancy of the two bodies had it occurred further from the Sun and during the evening or early morning hours; as it is it takes place at 7.24 a.m. in full sunlight. He will be in superior conjunction on the 7th, in conjunction with the Moon on the Bth, and in his descending node on the 25tb. VENUS is close to the Sun in the constellations Leo and, Virgo during the month. She will be in conjunction with Mercury on the 4th as above, with the Moon on the Bth, and in greatest heliocentric latitude north on the 12th.

MARS is still a fine object in our evening skies, riding high overhead in the constellation Sagittarius. He •will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 17th. A succession of cloudy evenings have prevented good views of this planet being obtained during the past month, except on a few rare occasions, when a fair amount of detail has been made out of this most interesting of yur nearest neighbours in space. JUPITER is now a morning star in the constellation Cancer, rising shortly before the Sun. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the early morning of the sth, and vvil 1 rise close to her on that date. Interesting views of his four larger satellites should be looked fur by all telescopists at this time before sunrise on the morning of the 2nd, Bth, 11th, 12th, loth, 18th, 20th, 26th, and 27th. SATURN is now an evening star in the constellation Pisces, moving backward amongst the stars. He will be in opposition to the Sun on the 18th, and in conjunction with the moon on the early morning of the 22nd. Observations of his smaller satellites may now be made to advantage owing to his ring system being almost invisible through being presented edgewise to the earth. In the large telescopes at the Observatory the edge is seen as a very bright line standing out on either side of t.ne planet, showing a thickening at the Cassini division, where that position is noted on each side. URANUS is now an evening star in the constellation Sagittarius, having a retrograde movement till the 22nd, when he; again moves forward. He will be in conjunction with the Moon on the evening of the 16th at Ohrs 13min, when the planet will be removed to the south of the Moon's centre. Neptune is now a morning star in the constellation Gemini, retrograding amongst the stars. He will be in L conjunction with the moon on the morning of the 3rd and the evening of the 30th. METEORS.—The region of Taurus should be well watched from the 19th to the 21st, just before daylight, the radiant in this case occupying the advancing position of the earth, and the meteors coming against its motion. THE CONSTELLATIONS for the middle of the month, and at about 8 p.m. are as follows: —North and to the east and west of Meridian may bj seen Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila. The fine stars Vega and Altair marking the position of the two latter constellations, while Sagittarius stands above them. Over the zenith are Pavo and Telescopium; to the east are the Dolphin and Pegasus; higher again is Capricornus and the Southern Fishes with the brilliant Fomalhant nearly due east; to the south is the Crane—Grus—with Eridanus and the bright Achernar, while from the southern horizon is seen emerging Canonus the brightest of Argo, to the west are Hercules and Ophiucus, and above these the Scorpion moving down towards their setting, preceded by Libra. The Cross is moving towards its lower transit, followed by the bright pointers Alpha and Beta Centauri and the Southern Triangle. THE ZODIACAL LIGHT has been noted as being particularly bright on several evenings during the past month It is well worth looking for awßy from the glare of street lamps, and other impediments to a full grasp

of its delicate luminosity. It should be looked for within an hour of sunset, when the pearly cone of light rising out of the sun's place at setting is unmistakable, and may be traced under favourable conditions to an altitude of from 30 to 40deg. THE COMET.—This interesting object was first seen on July 31st, 17 hours 15 minutes, and was easily detected by the naked eye as a strange object in the Hyacles, its position being fixed at the Observatory on the same date. It has been observed in the.early mornings on several occasions, but much cloudy weather has entirely prevented anything - like a complete set of observations being obtained. The last view obtained was on the morning of the 18th, when it was close to the star Delta in Gemini, having brightened considerably since its first appearance. Owing to its great distance from the earth, after passing the Sun it is questionable if it will be seen by the naked eye Rafter its perihelion passage. THE HON. DIRECTOR, Wanganui Observatory. Wanganui, August 30th, 1907.