PLANETS IN CONJUNCTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2582, 17 August 1909, Page 3

PLANETS IN CONJUNCTION.

A REGENT INSTANCE

In reporting the junction of the planets Jupiter and Venus on Thursday evening last the New Zealand “Herald” states : —The evening sky last night being clear gave a good view of the apparently near approach of the planets Venus and Jupiter, though, as a matter of fact, the distance separating them from our earth amounted to some 133 millions of miles for Venus, and 686 millions in Jupiter’s case. In the-., telescope Venus presented a very brilliant disc compared with Jupiter. The latter appeared very pale, while Venus looked like a miniature sun. From an astronomical point of view, the conjunction, said Mr J. T. Stevenson, F.R.A.S., to a “Herald” reporter, was more of a popular nature than of any scientific value. The close. proximity of the planets will doubtless give rise to further tales of airships seen in the evening sky. To the naked eye Venus far outshone Jupiter in brilliancy, and will now appear* above the latter planet, while the distance between them will rapidly increase each evening. The next event of astronomic interest will be the nearest approach of Mars to the earth on September 24. Its approximate distance on that date will he 36 million miles, which is about the least distance it has ever been from Mother Earth. This planet now rises at about nine p.m. It is increasing in proximity both to the sun and us, and consequently appears large and bright. Mars revolves round the sun in a period nearly double that of our earth. It therefore occurs that, in alternate years, the sun passes between us and Mars, and we pass between Mars and the sun. The actual diameter of Mars is little more than half that of our earth, yet it has two small moons in attendance upon it.