The M.A.S. Newsletter
Journal of the Mauritius Astronomical Society
November 99
The Next Meeting:
...on the night of Wednesday 17th of November at 01:00 am (Thursday) next to the chapel at Cap Malheureux for the observation of the Leonid meteor shower.
The Open Night:
The public is invited to an open night on Friday the 19th of November to view the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn. All members wishing to help are requested to contact the President or Secretary of the Society.
Mr Clifford Bell:
It is with deep regret that we learned the demise of the Society's treasurer, Mr Clifford Bell, on Monday the 25th of October 1999.
Mr Bell was a founder member of the Society. He had also delivered interesting exposés on cosmology. Right from the start, he actively contributed in the building of the Society by taking the responsability of the Treasury.
In Mr Bell, we all have lost a person dedicated to the cause of Astronomy. To his family, the Society extends its sincere condolences.
The sky this month:
The planet Saturn is at opposition on the 6th. The tilt of the disk is about 20°. Mercury is rapidly approaching the claws of the Scorpion and is visible after sunset over the western horizon. By the end of the month, it will be observable at dawn. We have two meteor showers this month. On the night of the 12th to 13th, maximum of the northern Taurids meteor shower. The peak hourly rate being close to 15. Five days later, on the night of the 17th to 18th, the Leonids meteor shower reaches maximum.
The Zodiacal Constellations:
We all know the twelve zodiacal signs. These are the constellations through which the Sun seems to move as we go around in our orbit. The table shows the dates at which the Sun visits the different constellations.
| Constellation (Latin name) |
Visited by the Sun | |
| According to Astronomy |
According to Astrology |
|
| Sagittarius | 18 Dec - 20 Jan | 23 Nov - 21 Dec |
| Capricornus | 20 Jan - 16 Feb | 22 Dec - 20 Jan |
| Aquarius | 16 Feb - 12 Mar | 21 Jan - 19 Feb |
| Pisces | 12 Mar - 19 Apr | 20 Feb - 20 Mar |
| Aries | 19 Apr - 14 May | 21 Mar - 20 Apr |
| Taurus | 14 May - 22 Jun | 21 Apr - 21 May |
| Gemini | 22 Jun - 21 Jul | 22 May - 21 Jun |
| Cancer | 21 Jul - 11 Aug | 22 Jun - 23 Jul |
| Leo | 11 Aug - 17 Sep | 24 Jul - 23 Aug |
| Virgo | 17 Sep - 31 Oct | 24 Aug - 23 Sep |
| Libra | 31 Oct - 24 Nov | 24 Sep - 23 Oct |
| Scorpius | 24 Nov - 30 Nov | 24 Oct - 22 Nov |
| Ophiucus | 30 Nov - 18 Dec | |
Serge Florens, Secretary