The Night Sky in May
HE next talk in the series "| Night Sky will be heard from 2YA at 9.15 pm. on Monday, May 5, when the speaker will be R. A. McIntosh, of Auckland, a past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. Readers will have noticed how the stars as shown in the chart for May have altered in position as compared with the chart for April. This change, which appears considerable when compared month by month, is going on gradually from day to day. Thus, while our present chart is designed for May 1 at about 9.0 p.m. it can also be used for May 2 at 8.56 p.m., May 3 at 8.52 p.m., and so on; that is, the time is to be taken four minutes earlier for each succeeding night. The change for a complete month is about two hours. Next month a new chart will appear for June 1 at 9.0 p.m. The moon may be used as an indica~ tion to certain objects in the sky. Distances as seen in the sky are referred
to in terms of degrees, and then may be appreciated better when it is remembered that the moon has a diameter of half a degree. On May 3, at 9.0 p.m., Spica is five degrees above the moon; on May 5 Jupiter is eight degrees to the right of the full moon and three-and-a-half degrees to the left on May 6. Observers in South Africa on May 6 will see the moon pass right in front of Jupiter-a phenomenon known as an occultation. The red star, Antares, is three degrees above the moon on May 7. The crescent moon will be in line with the constellation Castor and Pollux on May 24. Pollux is the star nearer the moon. On May 25 Saturn is six degrees to the left of the moon. By May 30 the moon will have about completed the circuit of the heavens and will be 18 degrees below Spica. On May 21 a total eclipse of the sun occurs, but it will not be visible in New Zealand. It will be seen in certain parts of South America, the mid-Atlantic and Central Africa. "The Night Sky in May" will also be heard from 3YA-on May 6, at 7.15 p.m. — and from 1YA and 4YA the following week.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19470502.2.38
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 410, 2 May 1947, Page 20
Word count
Tapeke kupu
394The Night Sky in May New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 410, 2 May 1947, Page 20
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in