THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JANU-RY. 



r.v \V. SH.VCKLETON, F.K.A.S., A.R.C.S. 



The Su.\. — On the 1st the Sun rises at 8.S and sets at 

 3.59; on the 31st he rises at 7.43 and sets at 4.44. The 

 Earth is nearest the Sun on the 3rd, when the Sun attains his 

 maximum apparent diameter of iZ' 35". Sunspots and faculae 

 may usually be observed on the solar disc ; of late the spots 

 have been small. The positions of the Sun's axis, centre 

 of the disc, and heliographic longitude of the centre are 

 given below : — 



The Moon :- 



OccuLT.\TIONS. — The following are the principal occuUa- 

 tions visible before midnight : — 



Mercury :- 



THE PLANETS. 



Mercury is in Inferior Conjunction with the Sun on the 

 10th January and is thus nnobser\able for the greater part of 

 the month. Towards the end of the month the planet is a 



morning star in Sagittarius, and rises on the 3, '. at 6.28 a.m. 

 or 1'' 16'" before the Sun. The planet is at greatest westerly 

 elongation of 25" 17' on February 2nd. 



Venus: — 



Venus is an evening star in Capricorn, but practically 

 unobservable throughout the month. On the Jlst January 

 the planet sets at 6.8 p.m. or l" 21™ after the Sun. 



M.\RS : — 



Mars rises about 5.30 a.m. throughout the month, and is 

 \isible in the S.E. portion of the sky for a short time before 

 sunrise. The diameter of the planet's disc is only 4" ; thus, 

 under present conditions, useful telescopic observations are 

 practically impossible. 



Jupiter is a conspicuous object in the morning sky looking 

 S.E. ; he rises about 3 a.m. on the 1st January and at 1.20 

 a.m. on the 31st. 



He is in quadrature on the 3rd February. The equatorial 

 diameter of the planet is 34", whilst the polar diameter is 2"'2 

 smaller. This polar flattening is readily observed in telescopes 

 powerful enough to see the belts, but the satellites may be 

 seen in small telescopes such as deer-stalkers of about 

 It inches aperture, or even in a good pair of prismatic 

 binoculars magnifying 8 times. The Moon appears near the 

 planet on the 23rd. 



Saturn : — 



Saturn is due South on the 1st January .'it 7.13 p.m. and at 

 5.18 p.m. on the 31st. The planet appears as a bright star 



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