EECEEATIYB SCIEIS'CE. 



215 



ASTEONOMICAL OBSEEVATIONS 

 EOE JANUAEY, 1860. 



The sun is in the constellation Capricornus until the 

 20th, when he passes into Aquarius. He is at his 

 nearest distance to the earth on the evening of the 2nd.. 

 He rises in London on the 1st at 8h. 8m., on the 15th 

 at 8h. 2m., and on the 31st at 7h.43m. ; and sets on the 

 1st at 3h. 59m., on the 15th at 4h. 17m., and on the 

 81st at 4h. 44m. 



The sun reaches the meridian on the 1st at 12h. 

 3m. 37s. ; on the 15th at 12h. 9m. 32s., and on the 31st 

 atl2h. 13m. 41s. 



Equation of time on the 1st, 3m. 37s. ; on the 

 ,15th, 9m. 32s.; and on the 31st, 13m. 41s.; the 

 clock being before the sun, i. e., the equation of time 

 being addative. 



Day breaks on the 4th at 6h. 3m., on the 12th 

 at Gb. 2m., and on the 26th at 5h. 50m. ; twilight ends 

 on the 10th at 6h. 18m., and on the 27th at 6h. 37m. 

 Length of night on the 17th, 15h. 39m. 



Full moon on the 8th at 3h. 23m. p.m. 



New moon on the 22nd at 12h. I7m. a.m. 



The moon is at her nearest distance to the earth 

 on the 10th, and most distantly removed on the 25th. 

 She is near Jupiter on the Btli, and near Saturn on 

 the 11th. 



Mercury is not favourably situated for observation. 

 He is a morning star, and situated in Ophiuchus at 

 the beginning of the month, passing into Sagittarius, 

 and into Capricornus on the 3lst. He reaches his 

 greatest western elongation on the 4th, and is farthest 

 removed from the sun on the 26th. He rises on the 

 1st at 6h. 15m. a.m., and on the 31st at 7h. 20m. a.m. ; 

 and sets on the 1st at 2h. 35m. p.m., and on the 31st 

 at 3h. 23m. p.m. 



Venus is unfavourably situated for observation ; she 

 is in Capricornus in the beginning and in Aquarius at 

 the end of the month. She is nearly circular, and rises 

 on the 1st at 9h. 34m. a.m., and on the 31st at 8h. 53m. 

 a.m. ; and sets on the Ist at 5h. 54m. p.m., and on the 

 31st at 7h. 32m. p.m. 



Mars is also unfavourably situated for observation. 

 He is a morning star, in the constellation Libra, until 

 the end of the montli, wlien he passes into Scorpio. He 

 rises on the 1st at 3h. 7m. a.m., and on the 31st at 2h. 

 53m. a.m., setting on the 1st at Oh. 47m. p.m., and on 

 the 31st at llli. 32m. a.m. 



Jupiter is a magnificent object; he is in the con- 

 stellation Gemini, and is in opposition and at his 

 greatest brightness on the 11th. He rises on the 1st 

 at 4h. 43m. p.m., and on the 31st at 2h. 25m. p.m. ; 

 and sets on the 1st at 8h. 59m. a.m., and on the 31st 

 at Oil. 49m. a.m. 



Saturn is also a fine object ; situated in Leo, and is 

 visible tlu-ougliout the night, rising on the 1st at 7h. 

 50m. p.m., and on the 31st at 5h. 41m. p.m.; setting 

 on the 1st at lOh. 31m. a.m., and on the 31st at 8h. 

 31m. a.m. 



Uranus is in Taurus, a little above Hyades, and is 

 visible throughout the night, rismg on the 1st at Hi. 



27m. p.m., and on the 31st at llh. 27m. a.m. ; and set- 

 ting on the 1st at 5h. 31m. a.m., and on the 31st at 

 3h. 29m. a.m. 



There is an eclipse of the sun on the 22nd, invisible 

 in England. It occurs in the Great Southern Ocean, 

 the central path crossing the South Pole, where it is 

 annular. 



Occultation of stars by the moon on the 5th : — 

 No. 17, Tauri, 4th magnitude, disappearance 4h. 6m. 

 a.m., reappearing in 34 minutes. On the 7th, e Gemi- 

 norum, 3 J magnitude, disappearance llh. 48m. p.m. 

 On the 9th, S Cancri, 4th magnitude, disappearance 

 81i. 32m. p.m., reappearance 9h. 29m. p.m. 



Eclipses of Jupiter's satellites at Greenwich : — 

 On the 1st, at 7h. 39m. 10s. p.m., 4th moon disappears. 

 On the 4th, at 7h. 34m. a.m., 1st moon disappears. 

 On the 6th, at 2h. 2m. 54s. a.m., 1st moon disap- 

 pears. On the 6th, at 8h. 54m. 33s. p.m., 3rd moon 

 disappears. On the 7th, at 8h. 31m. 25s. p.m., 1st 

 moon disappears. On the 8th, at 8h. 5m. 33s. a.m., 

 2nd moon disappears. On the 13th, at 6h. 11m. os. 

 a.m., 1st moon reappears. On the 14th, at 4h. 10m. 

 28s. a.m., 8rd moon reappears. On the 15th, at Oh. 

 39m. 38s. a.m., 1st moon reappears. On the 10th, at 

 7h. 8m. lis. p.m., 1st moon reappears. On the 18th, 

 at 5h. 18m. 13s. p.m., 4th moon reappears. On the 

 18th, at 9h. 44m. 34s. p.m., 2nd moon reappears. On 

 the 22nd, at 2h. 34m. 2s. a.m., 1st moon reappears. 

 On the 28rd, at 9h. 2m. 37s. p.m., 1st moon reappears. 

 On the 26th, at Oh. 21m. 13s. a.m., 2nd moon re- 

 appears. On the 29th, at4h. 28m. 35s. a.m., Istmoon 

 reappears. On the 80th, at lOh. 57m, 12s. a.m., 1st 

 moon reappears. 



Duration of twilight after sunset, on the 1st, 2h, 

 Om., and on the 16th, 2h. Im. 



The Pleiades are on the meridian on the 2nd, at 

 8h. 58m. 21 s. p.m. Eigel on the 3rd, at lOh. 16m. 47s. 

 p.m. a Persei on the 5th, at 8h. 15m. 46s. p.m. Aide- 

 baran on the 7th, at 9h. 21m. 15s. p.m. Capella on 

 the 19th, at 9h. 12m. 20s. p.m. Sirius on the 23rd, 

 at lOh. 29m. 5s. p.m., and Eigel on the 26th, at 8h. 

 46m. 21s. p.m. 



E. J. Lowe. 



THINGS OF THE SEASON— JANUARY. 



FOR VABIOUS LOCALITIES OF GEE.4.T EEITAIN. 



BiEDS Aeeiving. — Occasional flights of Grosbeaks, 

 Silktails, Norway Spinks, and Hen Chaffinches. 



BiEDS Depaeting. — Snowflake, Orange-breasted 

 and Gray Goosander, Long-tailed and Tufted Pocher, 

 Grosbeak. 



Insects. — Carabus catenulatus and cancellatus, 

 Helobiabrevicollis, Calathus cisteloides, 7-spotted and 

 2-spotted CoccineUa, Acheta domestica, Cheimatobia 

 vulgaris and rupicapraria, Peronea spadiceana. In ponds 

 various Colymbetes, Dyticus, and Hydrous piceus. 



Wild Plants. — Nailwort, Aconite fl., Poa trivialis, 

 Winter Furze, White and Eed Dead-nettie, Mosses and 

 Lichens in fine condition. 



