THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JULY 



P.v W. SH.\(KLHTOX. F.K..\.S.. .V.R.C.S. 



The Sun. — On the Ist the Sun rises at 3.48 and sets at 

 tS.lS: on the 31st he rises at 4.22 and sets at 7.50. On the 

 3rd at 6 a.m. the earth is at its greatest distance froiii the 

 Sun. the solar parallax then reaching its mininiuin \alue 

 of 8" -66. 



Sun spots may occasionally be observed on the solar disc in 

 spite of the declining solar activity : at the time of writing no 

 spots were visible. 



The positions of the Sun's axis, equator, and the helio- 

 graphic longitude of the centre of the disc, are shown in the 

 following table : — 



Thk Moon :- 



OccuLT.ATlONS. — No occultatious of naked eye stars are 

 visible in this country during the present month or early 

 August. „ 



THE PLANETS. 



Mercury : — 



Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun on the 4th. 

 After the 20th the planet sets about an hour after the ,Sun in 

 the W.N.W., thus for all practical purposes he is unobservable, 

 being in too bright a portion of the sky after Sunset. 



■V'ENUS: — 



Date. 



fulv 



Aug 



I 

 1 1 

 21 



31 

 10 



Right .Ascension. 



ll. 

 o 

 10 

 10 

 1 1 

 II 



54 

 20 



39 



\'enus continues to be a conspicuous object in the evening 

 sky looking \V. immediately after Sunset. The planet is 

 increasing in Ijrilliancy, and reaches her " greatest brilliancy " 

 on .■\ugiist loth, whilst on July 7th she is at greatest easterly 

 elongation of 45° 29' from the Sun. At the beginning of July 

 the planet sets about 10.30 p.m., and at the end of the month, 

 about 9 p.m. 



The planet is so bright that most persons are able to see it 

 long before it is dark, and this is the best time for observing 

 with a telescope. The planet may readily be seen, even in 

 broad daylight if slight optical aid, such as a pair of opera 

 glasses, be employed and directed to the correct position in 

 the sky. With the help of nothing but a pair of opera gl.asses 

 and a celestial globe, I was able to find the planet in the 

 early afternoon, and after finding it with the glasses it was 

 fairly easy to see the planet with the naked eye, when shielded 

 from direct sunlight. During July, the planet is on the meridian 

 about 3 p.m.; 3.13 on the 1st and 2.48 on the 31st, and as 

 the brightness is increasing, it should be fairly easy to 

 discern in the afternoon. As seen in the telescope, the 

 planet appears like a half moon at the beginning of July, 

 but the phase rapidly changes, so that at the end of the 

 month the form is crescent, 0-3 of the disc being illuminated, 

 the apparent diameter increasing from IT to iT in the same 

 period. The Moon appears near the planet on the evening of 

 the 2Sth. 



M.\RS : — 



Mars rises about ten minutes after midnight on the 1st and 

 at 10.50 p.m. on the 31st. The planet is situated in Pisces 

 and appears about half a degree S. of Piscium on the 10th ; 

 he is rather an inconspicuous object, but as the opposition of 

 November approaches, he will become more interesting. The 

 planet is increasing in brightness, the apparent diameter on 

 July 1st being S"-0 and on August 1st, 9"- 3. 



The latitude of the centre of the disc is about — 19°; thus the 

 southern polar cap is visible, and it is approaching summer in 

 the southern hemisphere of the planet, the summer solstice 

 occurring on August 1st. 



Jupiter: — 



274 



