156 



NATURE 



[March 30, 191 1 



The Adoption of Standard Time in France. — To La 

 Xalure (No. 1970) M. H. C;ithcnod contribute!* an interest- 

 inj» illustrated article on the international system of 

 ^laiKi.'ird time, to which France has now (»iven its support, 

 lie outlines the history of its }»eneral adoption, the reasons 

 for accepting the Greenwich meridian as the basis of the 

 -ystem, and the reasons for France's hesitation in entering 

 I lie international agreement earlier. The article is use- 

 fully illustrated by u number of sketch-maps, and, in con- 

 ( luding it, M. Cathcnod reiterates M. Faye's hope that, 

 in return for the international adoption of the Greenwich 

 meridian as the point of departure, Great Britain will 

 favour the unification of the system of weights and 

 me.'isures by adopting the metrical system. 



liiE Different Forms of Halos and their Observa- 

 iiON. — Although a large number of famous astronomers 

 and otlier observers have diiected their attention to the 

 halos which are to be seen from time to time surrounding 

 the sun or moon, these phenomena still present some un- 

 solved problems. In the March number of L'Astronomie 

 l>r. liesson, of the Montsouris Observatory, suggests that 

 I lie observations should be made regularly by amateurs, 

 for the phenomena are visible without the help of instru- 

 ments ; but the amateur often lacks the knowledge of 

 what to look for and what is worth recording. .To remedy 

 tliis state of affairs, he gives some excellent descriptions 

 and instructions well illustrated by numerous diagrams. 



Two of these diagrams show the solar halo of 22°, the 

 halo of 46°, the upper and lower tangential arcs, the 

 parhelia and anthelia, the oblique arcs and the luminous 

 <olumn and the arcs of Lowitz. Each phenomenon is then 

 described and discussed, so that the observer may know 

 when and where he may expect to see it, and what colours, 

 if any, should attend it. Special notes and a diagram are 

 given for the circumzenithal arcs, which are not so fre- 

 quently seen, and generally last not longer than five 

 minutes. M. Besson finds that the observations published 

 in late years favour the theory of Bravais as to the appear- 

 .mce of these arcs, a theory which Pernter did not accept. 

 This article is to be followed by another, in which the 

 .author will describe some of the rarely seen and abnormal 

 phenomena which attend the apparitions of halos. 



Nova LacerTj^. — In an article which appears in No. 9, 

 vol. civ., of The Scientific Aviericati, Prof. S. A. Mitchell 

 gives some very interesting facts concerning the apparition 

 of Nova Lacertae and the discovery and nature of novae 

 in general. Since the first recorded nova, that of 

 Hipparchus in the year 134 B.C., only thirty-six new stars 

 have been observed, and of these eighteen have been dis- 

 covered since 1885 ; fifteen of these have been first found 

 on photographs, and, of the fifteen, fourteen were dis- 

 covered at the Harvard College Observatory from plates 

 taken there or at Arequipa. 



The photographs of Nova Lacertae taken by Profs. 

 Barnard and Wolf show that between November 19 and 

 23, 1910, the light of the star increased 4000-fold. A 

 spectrum secured by Prof. Frost, using the 40-inch re- 

 fractor at the Yerkes Observatory on January 3, is stated 

 to be exactly analogous to those of Nova Aurigae and Nova 

 Persei, so that any explanation which accounts for their 

 pi^culiarities will also explain Nova Lacertae. Prof. 

 Mitchell discusses, very briefly and generally, the causes 

 which may produce novae, and shows that the " pressure " 

 theory and the " collision " theory leave much to be ex- 

 plained ; he rather favours the passage of a rapidly moving 

 star through a previously unknown nebula. The article is 

 well illustrated, the reproductions including photocraphs 

 of the Harvard College observatories at Cambridge (Mass.) 

 and at .'\requipa. 



The Star List of the American Ephemeris, 191 i. — 

 For thirty years (1882-1911) the star list of the American 

 I'.phemeris has given ten-day ephemerides for the apparent 

 places of some 378 especially chosen stars, and dailv 

 ephemerides for five circumpolar stars. The need of a 

 larger and improved star list for the use of astronomers, 

 engineers, and surveyors prompted the issue, in 1908. of 

 the list of 780 stars for 1909, and the present issue is 

 similar to that except that forty-five more stars have been 

 added. As the Ephemeris for 1012 contains a list identical 

 with the present issue, the publication of a separate Star 

 List will not be continued. 



NO. 2 161, VOL. 86] 



Ephemeris for Wolf's Comet. — In No. 4483 of :i.'- 

 Astrononiische Sachrichien, M. Kamensky contmues hi* 

 ephemeris for Wolf's comet, which may return to peri- 

 helion in February next. At present the ctnnet • - 



ently in /\quila, about half-way between 8 .\ 

 1] .Serpentis, and is moving in a north-easterly 

 it8 calculated magnitude is about 14. 



ANTARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. 

 'PHE centre of interest in polar exploration 

 ■*■ shifted, earlier than might have b»t'n expen.d, ir »iii 

 the north to the south by the telegram forwarded from 

 Stewart Island from the returning Terra Sova. Thi* 

 vessel has carried Captain Scott's expedition to its base 

 successfully in spite of encountering heavy pack-ice in the 

 remarkably low latitude of 65° S., and having to make 

 380 miles of difficult travelling through it. The telegram 

 includes messages from Captain Scott and from Lieui. 

 Pennell, the officer commanding the Terra S'ova on her 

 return, and it is in the latter message that the salient 

 point of interest is found, namely, the discovery of the 

 celebrated Fram, with Captain Amundsen's expedition 

 aboard, already established in the Bay of Whales, an inlet 

 in the ice-barrier at 165° W. long, it is perhaps early 

 as yet to account for Amundsen's change of plan (for he 

 originally sailed ostensibly with an Arctic journey in view) ; 

 the interest of the moment is that, assuming his base to 

 be established at the Bay of Whales, he is nearer the Pole 

 by nearly 100 miles than Scott if he elects to strike south 

 in a direct line, and risk discovering a new route up to 

 the polar plateau. If, however, he makes for Shackleton's 

 known route (which Scott, of course, will follow) up the 

 Beardmore glacier, he will have little if any advantage in 

 distance. 



Some uncertainty as to Scott's arrangements is caused 

 by the messages. His own states that after leaving him 

 at the base in McMurdo Sound the Terra Nova would 

 leave a geological party on \actoria Land, and then pro- 

 ceed to leave an exploring party on King Edward Land. 

 As a fact, it appears that the Terra Nova proceeded along 

 the ice-barrier towards King Edward Land first, failed to 

 make a landing at Cape Colbeck, and returned to the 

 Bay of Whales. Here the Fram was found, and here two 

 interpretations have been put upon the message : — " The 

 Fram is proceeding to Buenos Aires, returning the follow- 

 ing season to re-embark Captain Amundsen. Stores were 

 landed and a hut erected two miles from the ship, and 

 the Terra Nova afterwards left again for McMurdo 

 Sound." 



Some commentators refer the stores and hut to the party 

 from the Terra Nova, which seems the more probable on 

 the face of the sentence ; others suspect wrong paragraph- 

 ing, and suppose the stores and hut to belong to 

 Amundsen's party. Later the ship was driven north, and 

 landed the " eastern " party at Cape Adare (\'ictoria 

 Land), which would suggest that the second group of com- 

 mentators are right, and leaves it uncertain as to what 

 has become of the geologists. This will doubtless be 

 cleared up when the ship reaches another cable station ; 

 in the meantime, it seems reasonable to hope that there 

 will be room in Victoria Land for Scott's party (especially 

 if they are geologists only) and the expedition of Dr. 

 Mawson, who has expressed some doubt as to the inviola- 

 bility of his province. 



Scott, Amundsen, and Mawson (who will have as com- 

 mander Captain J. K. Davis, late of the Nimrod) do not 

 exhaust the list of those already attacking or intending to 

 attack the problems of the south. A Japanese expedition 

 under Lieut. N. Shirase, having little in common with 

 European equipment beyond a characteristic determination, 

 was reported to have left for the south at the end of last 

 year. Nor is it certain that an American expedition has 

 been given up, in spite of Commander Peary's determina- 

 tion not to lead it. for it is stated that his captain, Bartlett. 

 is ready to take his place. 



It may be added that already Scott's expedition has 

 added something to scientific knowledge, for those return- 

 ing on the Terra Nova have carried the north coast of 

 Victoria Land (by distant sights) some 150 miles beyond 

 its previously known extension, and the interesting feature 

 of an open sea immediately south of the Balleny Islands 

 was encountered. 



