The M.A.S. Newsletter

Journal of the Mauritius Astronomical Society

August 98

Meeting:

The next meeting will be held at 7hr30 pm on Friday 28th August 1998 at the St Esprit College, Quatre Bornes.

Venus and Mars visit Praesepe:

At dawn on the 18th to the 20th, the planet Venus passes just south of the open cluster M44.

Mars enters the same cluster (M44) on the 31st August. This cluster is found in the constellation of Cancer. At 5hr30 am of the 31st it is about 10º above the eastern horizon. Found at a distance of about 500 ly, M44 contains about 200 known members, a few of which are at 6th magnitude.

Also worth observing is the close encounter of the Moon and the planets Venus and Mars in the early morning of the 20th.

Jupiter:

Jupiter is easily observable during the month. It is now in the constellation of Pisces. Rising at 8hr01 pm on the 19th, its visible brightness is rising and will reach -2.9 by the end of this month.

On the 23rd, Jupiter is in conjunction with a 5,6 magnitude star (SAO 146915). On the 24th of August and 1st of September, there will be double shadow transits visible from Mauritius.

The observation of these phenomena requires a telescope aperture of at least 100mm.

Saturn:

At 11hr00 pm on the 21st, Saturn is at about 6º above the horizon in the constellation of Cetus.

The rings of Saturn were at their maximum opening on the 9th of August. The planet started its retrograde movement on the 15th.

A 9m telescope for South Africa:

The Republic of South Africa decided to build the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT). The telescope will have a mosaic mirror of 9 metres in diameter, and is scheduled to start observing in the year 2003.

Serge Florens, Secretary

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