EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



179 



METEOEOLOGY OF DECEMBEE. 



FEOM OBSERVATIONS AT HIGHFIELD HOUSE OBSERVATORY. 



Year. 



1841 ., 



1842 . , 



1843 . 



1844 . 

 184r> . 



1846 ., 



1847 ., 



1848 . 



1849 . 



1850 . 



1851 . 

 ■ 1852 .. 



1853 . 



1854 . 



1855 . 



1856 . 



1857 . 



1858 . 



The greatest heat in shade reached 620° in 1856, 

 and only 43'0'' in 1844, giving a range of 17-3° in greatest 

 beat for December during the past seventeen years. 



The greatest cold was as low as 12'0° in 1855, and 

 never below SO-O" in 1857, giving a range of 18'0'' in 

 greatest cold for December, during the past eighteen 

 years. 



Only 0-4 inch of rain fell in 1844 and 1857, whilst 

 4 inches fell in 1845, giving a range of 3"6 inches for 

 December, during the past sixteen years. The mean 

 amount of rain for this month is 1'9 inches, 



December is a very variable month, depending much 

 on the general du'ection of the wind for its character ; 

 it is, however, usually mUd, with the wind blowing be- 

 tween W. and SW. E. J. Lowe. 



ASTEONOMICAI; OBSEEVATIOI^S 

 EOE DECEMBEE, 1859. 



The sun is in the constellation Sagittarius till the 

 morning of the 22nd, when he passes into Capricomus. 

 In London he rises on the 1st at 7h. 45m., on the 15th 

 at 8h. 2m., and on the 31st at 8h. 9m. He sets on the 

 1st at 3h. 53m., on the 15th at 3h. 49m., and on the 

 61st at 3h; 58m. In Dublin he rises 10 minutes 

 later, and sets 10 minutes earlier. In Edinburgh, at 

 the commencement of the month, he rises 26 minutes 

 later, and sets 26 minutes earlier, and at the end rises 

 27 min. later, and sets 27 min. earlier than in London, 



The sun reaches the meridian on the 1st at llh. 

 49m. 7s. a.m., on the 15th at llh. 55m. 138. a.m., and 

 on the 31st at 12h. 3m. 8s. p.m. 



Equation of time on the 1st, 10m. 53s. ; on the 

 15th, 4m. 47s. ; and on the 31st, 3m. 8s. Up to 

 Christmas-day clock after sun ; after which before sun. 



Day breaks on the 1st at 5h. 41m., and on the 



29th at 6h. 2m., and twilight ends on the 1st at 5h. 

 56m., and on the 30th at 6h. Om. Length of day on 

 the 3rd, 8h. 3m., and on the 23rd 7h. 44m. The 

 length of day has decreased on the I2th 8h. 44m. 



Full moon on the 10th at 3h. 13m, a.m. 



New moon on the 24th at 5h. 47m. a.m. 



The moon is at her greatest distance from the 

 earth on the 29th, and at her least distance on the 

 13th, She is near Jupiter on the 12th, Saturn o» the 

 14th, Mars on the 19th, and Venus on the 26th, 



Mercury is an evening star till the 13th, and then 

 a morning star. He is situated very low, and is, coi> 

 sequently, imfavourable for observation. He is in 

 Sagittarius, passing into Ophinchus at the end of the 

 month. He rises on the 1st at 9h. 38m., and on the 

 26th at 6h. 15m, He sets on the 1st at 4h, 56m, 

 p.m., and on the 28th at 2h. 48m. p.m. 



Venus is unfavourably situated for observation, 

 being low, near the sun, and also at a great distance 

 from the earth. She is an evening star, and is in 

 Ophinchus, passing into Sagittarius in the middle of 

 the month, and into Capricomus at the close. She is 

 nearly circular in form, and rises between 9 and 10 

 a.m., and sets on the 26th at 5h, 37m. 



Mars is unfavourably situated for observation, its 

 disc being less than 6" of arc. He is a morning star, 

 and in Virgo tiU the end of the month, when he passes 

 into Libra. He rises at about a quarter past three, 

 a.m., and sets on the 26th at Ih. Im. p.m. 



Jupiter is a fine telescopic object, his apparent dia- 

 meter on the 31st being 44", having increased from 30" 

 since June. He is in Gemini, except for the first few 

 days, whenhe is inCancer. He is an evening star, rising 

 on the 1st at 7h. 2m. p.m., and on the 26th at 5h. 

 20m. p.m., and being on the meridian on the 1st at 

 3h. 9m. a.m., and on the 26th at Ih. 21m. a.m. 



Saturn is an evening star, and a good telescopic 

 object. He is in Leo throughout the month. His 

 motion is direct until the 8th, when he is stationary, 

 and after which retrograde. He rises on the 1st ^t 

 9h.56m. p.m., and on the 26th at 8h. 16m. p.m. 



Uranus is favourably situated for observation, being 

 in the constellation Taurus throughout the month. 

 He is on the meridian on the 1st at llh. 84m, p.m., 

 and on the 26th at 9h. 51m. p.m. 



There will be six occultations of stars by the 

 moon on December 8th, viz.: — Electra, 4th magni- 

 tude, disappears 3h. 36m. p.m. ; and reappears 4h. 

 25m, p.m. Celoeno, 5 Jth magnitude, disappears 4h. Om. 

 p.m., and reappears 4h. 9m p.m. Merope, 5th magni- 

 tude, disappears 4h. 6m. p.m., and reappears 4h, 49m. 

 p.m. Alcyone, 3rd magnitude, disappears 4h. 32m. p.m . , 

 and reappears 5h. 24ra. p.m. Pleione, 5ith magni- 

 tude, disappears 5h. 18m. p.m., and reappears 5h, 

 59m, p.m. Atlas, 4th magnitude, disappears 5h. 32m.. 

 p.m., and reappears 5h. 38m. p.m. 



The following eclipses of Jupiter's satellites are 

 visible : — On the 2nd, at Ih. 2m, 19s. a.m., 3rd mooil 

 disappears. On the 2nd, at 4h. 14m. lis. a.m., 3rd 

 moon reappears. On the 6th, at llh. 59m. 37s. p.m., 

 1st moon disappears. On the 14th, at Ih. 53m. 8s» 

 a.m., 1st moon disappears. On the 15th, at 8h. 21ia. 



