December 21, 1911] 



NATURE 



259 



The report of the Clifton College Scientific Society for 

 the year 1910-11 has been received. This year, for the 

 first time, the report is illustrated. The numerous sections 

 of the society were very active during the period under 

 review, but the attendance at general meetings does not 

 appear to have been so good as in previous sessions. The 

 report shows that many of the masters join with the boys 

 in their practical study, in leisure hours, of various 

 branches of science. Great prominence is given to outdoor 

 work of a kind likely to engender a love for scientific 

 observation and research among the boys. 



The issue of " Hazell's Annual" for 1912 maintains the 

 high character for usefulness which previous editions of 

 this work of reference have gained. The contents have 

 been revised to November 25 last, and the editor, Mr. 

 Hammond Hall, claims that the compilation gives " the 

 most recent and authoritative information on the topics of 

 the day." One section of the volume, running to forty- 

 two pages, is entitled " The March of Science," and deals, 

 among other subjects, with scientific progress in 191 1, 

 imperial research, and aerial navigation. This is the 

 twenty-seventh year of issue of the annual. The price of 

 the volume is 35. 6d. net. 



Copies of the 19 12 issues of the well-known works of 

 reference published annually by Messrs. A. and C. Black 

 have been received. " Who's Who " is larger than ever ; 

 the 191 1 edition ran to 2246 pages, but the new volume 

 contains 2364 pages. There is a remarkable variation in 

 the lengths of the autobiographies contained in this in- 

 dispensable volume ; some consist of two or three lines 

 only, while others take up nearly a page. It is satisfac- 

 tory to find, in view of the important part which science 

 takes in modern States, that due prominence is given to 

 men of science in this record of living notabilities. " Who's 

 W Inci ^ I ;u'-book " coiuains, as usual, the well-arranged 

 tables which were formerly a popular feature in " Who's 

 Who " itself. " The lMit;lish\voman's Year-book and 

 Directory " should be in the hands of every woman who is 

 engaged in public work ; it is crammed with useful in- 

 formation of a trustworthy kind. " The Writers' and 

 Artists' Year-book " is, its editor says, chiefly for the use 

 of those persons who wish to make money by their pen or 

 brush. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Mars. — In a telegram, dated November 29, from S6tii, 

 to the Astronomische Nachrichten, M. Jarry-Desloges states 

 that Mare Sirenum is persistently seen cut into three parts, 

 and that Elison is easily perceptible. Later, on December 

 4, he reports that Juventa) Pons is now an easy object, 

 L. I'hoenicis is triple, Bathys is apparently effaced, the 

 Aonius Sinus encroaches on Thaumasia, and the south 

 polar spot, in 95°, is 0-7" in diameter. 



The December number of L' Astronomic contains several 

 drawings of the planet by M. Qu(5nisset and others, with 

 descriptions of the different features observed during 

 October and November. The outstanding feature on 

 October 17 was Tartarus, which, leaving the M. Sirenum 

 at its eastern point, traversed nearly the complete disc and 

 ji>ine(iup with Trivium Charontis. 



On photographs taken on one plate by Prof. Lowell on 

 October u, M. Flammarion has recognised fifteen (liflereiit 

 Martian features in the L. Soils region, including several 



■) - < 'MMi;r, 1911^. — I)i'. Ri^i'iinail communicates 



f comet K)! ic, a-, . 1 on 



• ' . iM.ri ,,. to No. 4.vi 1 of li itch- 



riclitcn, and adds that thf: comet v, .1, i.,ii;: i, "a 1- tiiati 



1' in diameter, had a nucieu- ami a lail, iln' laii.r !• - 



than 30' long, and that its inat^nitudc was yo ; the correc- 



tions to the ephemeris at loh. 57-6m. (.Santiago M.T.) on 

 November 26 were -1-0-3' and -|-o-2'. 



Spiral Structure in Nebulae. — In an interesting article 

 published in No. 3, vol. xxxiv., of the Astrophysical 

 Journal, Mr. William Sutherland discusses the relation 

 between the distribution of the planets and the probability 

 of their origin in a spiral nebula. He shows that the 

 equation expressing Bode's law may be developed to show 

 that the planetary distances are derived from two equi- 

 angular spirals, thus leading to the idea that the solar 

 system in its evolution passed through the spiral form so 

 common among nebute, the spiral being of a simple 

 logarithmic form. He pictures the elementary nebula as 

 made up of meteorites rotating about a centre, the 

 meteorites being uniformly distributed. Collisions occur, 

 reducing the rotational velocity of the colliding bodies, and 

 the latter fall towards the centre ; but they will fall 

 spirally, owing to the common rotation of the mass, and 

 thus spirals of condensation would be formed. Mr. 

 Sutherland shows how these might finally agglomerate into 

 two-armed spirals, in which local condensations might 

 account for the considerable variation of mass among the 

 planets ; according to this scheme, the moon and other 

 satellites were formed from subsidiary branches to the 

 spiral arms. Comparisons between the calculated spirality 

 of several nebula; and that calculated for the solar nebula 

 from the law of distribution of the planets shows the values 

 to be of the same order, and thus lends support to Mr. 

 Sutherland's theory. 



Permanent Designations for Recently Discovered 

 Variable Stars.— In No. 4540 of the Astronomische Nach- 

 richten the commission for the A.G. catalogue for variable 

 stars publishes the permanent names allotted to variable 

 stars discovered recently. From the notes it is seen that 

 most of the discoveries were photographic, and that many 

 of them were made at Harvard. A glance at the tabulated 

 maxima and minima suggests that the field of discovery 

 for variable-star observers is not yet closed, for we find 

 ranges of three or four magnitudes, e.g. 9-5 to 12-8, among 

 the fainter objects. 



Luminosities and Radii of Various Stars.— Answering 

 a question as to the relative sizes of the stars, Mr. J. H. 

 Cannon, of the Dominion Observatory, gives some nUerest- 

 ing figures in No. 5, vol. v., of the Journal of the Royal 

 Astronomical Society of Canada ; he also outlines the 

 method whereby the figures were derived. 



As the surface intensities of the various spectral types, 

 taking that of the sun as unity, he adopts 12 for types A 

 and B, 3 for type F, i for type G, and 0-5 for types K 

 and M, and derives the luminosities and radii of eightorn 

 well-known stars. Rigel, with a radius 41-5, has a 

 luminosity 20,614 times that of the sun. Only two stars, 

 a Aquila; and $ Leonis, are calculated to be the same size 

 as the sun, and are just over twelve times as luminous. 

 The radius of the Pole Star is 5-9, and its luminositv 102. 

 while Regulus, with six times the radius of the sun, is 423 

 times as luminous. 



THE PHYSICAL SOCIETY'S EXHIBITION. 



THE seventh annual exhibition of plivsical appar.nlus 

 -»■ under the auspi, -. ,.i the Physical Snc;,;v ol I on.lnn 

 was hold on Tuesdnv afternoon and evemn- December m, 

 at the Imperial College of Science and '! echnoloev. he 

 vorv Inr^o attondanros at both sessions was evuienre that 

 the exhibition continues to rv useful pmi»>se m 



brinein^- a knowle.le,. .,f n^ ^ms to teachers and 



othei - in;-:' -led in scientific wcul;. 



A ,1:,, ,.,, . was given by fhe lion, R. J. Stvuit, I'.K.S.. 



at ea.h s,..,sion on electric '' ' ' ''"■ '"""e,>s,iv 



that survives it, in which 



intere.liiu;- and verv riretlv ' -."''^• 



which -ucc'' 'I- 't ■ • . • , J 



., , \ ,,,, mamtauied 



nilroj^eii. .\ I u 



through the discha.e,. u.l.e i MM.. .. laree -lobe, 



I in which it still >naintaine,I -w. 1 he mteract..Mi 



! nf nitrogen in this s,ate w;.m mna oxule and stanmc 



, lil.irirl- va])onrs was sli,,x\ii I,v the chanee m the ,,.!,.ur ol 

 j the i;]ow to iiVicn and blue respectively \vl"''i ''"' vapours 



NO. 2199, VOL. 88] 



