THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR NOVEMBER. 



Bv W. SHACKLETON, F.R.A.S., A.R.C.S. 



Thk Sux. — Oil the 1st the Sun rises at 6.54 and sets at 4.34; 

 on the jOth he rises at 7.4J and sets at 3.54. Siinspots and 

 faculae may occasionally be seen on the disc, but of late spots 

 ha\e been small, although faculae have been fairly conspicuous. 

 The equation of time is a ma.ximum on the 4th, the Sun being 

 16"' 21" in advance of the clock, thus making the afternoons 

 short and the mornings long. The positions of the .Sim's axis, 

 centre of the disc, and helio.graphic longitude of the centre are 

 gi\en in the following table : — 



Mercury 



THE PLANETS. 



The Moon : 



There is an eclipse of the .Moon on the 6th, but as the 

 moon only passes through the penumbra of the earth's shadow 

 very little darkening will be observable; moreover, one will only 

 be able to observe the end of the eclipse and that under bad 

 conditions, as the moon will be low down. The particulars of 

 the eclipse are given below : — 



Nov. 6 

 ... I.31) p.m. 

 ... 3.37 p.m. 

 5.34 p.m. 

 4.1 7 p.m. 



the principal occulta- 



First contact with the Penumbra 

 Middle of Eclipse ... 

 Last contact with the Fenumbra 

 Moon rises (at Greenwich) 



OCCULTATIONS. — The following ari 

 tions visible from Greenwich : — 



Mercury is in the neighbourhood of the Sun at the beginning 

 of the month, but towards the end of the month the planet 

 becomes an evening star in Scorpio, setting at 4.42 p.m. on 

 the 27th November. 



Venus: — 



Date. 



Oct. 29 



Nov. S 



„ iS 



28 



Dec. S 



Right Ascen.sion. 



Declinaiion. 



Venus is a morning star in Virgo, and is at greatest westerly 

 elongation of 46° 45' from the Sun on the 26th. when she rise's 

 E, by S. at 3.5 a.m.. 



The planet appears as a very conspicuous object in the 

 morning sky looking east. The apparent diameter of the planet 

 is about 30", whilst 0-5 of the disc appears illuminated ; thus 

 the telescopic appearance is that of " half moon." 



Mars ; — 



Mars is a very conspicuous object in the S.E. portion of the 

 evening sky. where he appears as a very bright red star a few- 

 degrees to the South-east of the Pleiades. The planet is 

 visible throughout the night, as he rises about sunset and sets 

 about sunrise. The planet is in opposition to the Sun on the 

 25th, when he appears due South at midnight. This opposition 

 is a very favourable one as regards the altitude of the planet, 

 though not so favourable as regards nearness to the earth, 

 compared with oppositions in 1907 and 1909. The planet's 

 altitude on this occasion reaches 60° when on the meridian, 

 whilst the apparent diameter of the disc is 18", corresponding 

 to a distance of about 481 million miles. Below is given a 

 table showing the altitude and comparative distance of several 

 oppositions : — 



431 



