282 



KNOWLEDGE ^: SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[November, 1905. 



The Face of the Sky for 

 November. 



By W. Shackleton, F.R..A.S. 



The Sun. — On the ist the Sun rises at 6.55 and sets at 

 4.33 ; on the 30th he rises at 7.44 and sets at 3.53. 



The equation of time is a maximum on the third, the 

 Sun being i6m. 20s. before the clock. 



Sunspots and prominences are numerous ; at the time 

 of writing several fine groups of spots are visible on the 

 solar disc. 



The following table gives the position, angle of the 

 Sun's axis, and the heliographic latitude of the centre of 

 the Sun's disc : — 



Date. 



-The following are the brighter 

 occulted stars visible from Greenwich. It will he noticed 

 that the 1st magnitude star .Mdebaran is occulted on the 

 13th, disappearance taking place about i hour after 

 moonrise. 



The Planets. — Mercury (Nov. i, R.A. 15'' 

 Dec. S. 19"' 7'. Nov. 30, R.A. 17"' 55m ; Dec. S. 25"' 33' j 

 is an evenmg star in Scorpio at greatest easterly elon- 

 gation on the 27th, when he sets at 5 p.m. This elonga- 

 tion is very unfavourable on account of the great southerly 

 declination of the planet. 



Venus (Nov. i, R.A. la'i 5111; Dec. S. 3' 44'. 

 Nov. 30, R.A. 15'' ym; Dec. S. 10" 26') is a morning star 

 on the confines of \'irgo and Libra. The planet is not 

 well placed for observation. 



Mars (Nov. i, R..\. u/ 17m ; Dec. S. 24' (>'. Nov. 30, 

 R.A. 20'' 49"" ; Dec. S. 19' 19') is visible in the S.W. for 

 a few hours after sunset, but as the apparent diameter of 

 the planet is now small, it is not a very suitable object 

 for observation in small telescopes. 



Jupiter (Nov. i. R.,\. 4I' 10"' ; Dec. N. 2o''o'. Nov. 30, 

 R..\. 3»'55"' ; Dec. N. 19 19') is describing a retrograde 

 path between Aldebaran and the Pleiades. The planet 

 is very favourably placed for observation, being in oppo- 

 sition to the Sun on the 24th, and is the most con- 



spicuous object in the evening sky looking S.E. The 

 equatorial diameter of the planet on the 25th is 49"'4, 

 whilst the polar diameter is 3"-2 less. The following 

 table gives the satellite phenomena visible in this 

 country, before midnight : — 



" Oc. D." denotes the disappearance of the Satellite behind the disc, and 

 " Oc. R." its re-appearance ; '* Tr. I." the ingress of a transit across the disc, 

 and "Tr. E." its egress; "Sh. I." the ingress of a transit of the shadow acro!=s 

 the disc, and " Sh. £," i*s egrcs.s. 



Saturn (Nov. i, R. A. 21'' 56""; Dec. S. 14° 19'. 

 Nov. 30, R. A. 21I1 59""; Dec. S. i4'^o') is best observed 

 immediately after sunset, being due south at 6.20 p.m. 

 on the 15th. Telescopically, the planet with his rings is 

 a beautiful object, and on account of his low altitude the 

 position for observation is a most comfortable one. The 

 apparent diameter of the ball is i6"'o, whilst the major 

 and minor axes of the outer ring are 39"'r) and 7"'g 

 respectively, the ring appearing well open. 



Uranus (Nov. i, R. A. 18'' 6™; Dec. S. 23° 42') sets 

 shortly after the sun, and hence is not available for 

 observation. 



Neptune (Nov. i, R. A. 6'' 44""; Dec. N. 22° 5') rises 

 about 7 p.m. near the middle of the month, and is due 

 south about 3 a.m. The planet is situated in Gemini in 

 a region rich in sr.nall stars, thus making identification 

 somewhat difficult in small telescopes. 



Meteors: — 



The principal showers of meteors during the month 

 are the Leonids and Andromedids ; the Moon will some- 

 what interfere witii observation of the formor, but the 

 latter shower occurs in the Moon's last (juarter ; more- 

 over, the Andromedids may be numerous this year. 



Minima of Algol may be observed on the 13th at 

 9.7 p.m., and i6th at 5.56 p.m. 



Telescopic Oujects : — 



Double Stars: — >) Cassiopeia; o'' 43"", N. 57" 17', 

 mags. 3i, 7i; separation 5"-7. Hinary star. 



X .\rietis i** 52'", N. 23''-6', mags. 4,H; separation 37". 

 Components white and blue; easy with power 20. 



1 Persei 2*' 44™, N. 55 •2«' ; mags. 4, 8; separation 28". 

 The brighter component is orange, the other blue. 

 There are also several other fainter stars very near. 



