April 15, 1920] 



NATURE 



213 



Our Astronomical Column. 



CoNjUN'CTiox OF JupiTER AND Neptune. — On the 

 morning of April 20 these planets will be within 1° 

 of each other; the actual distance at 4 a.m. will 

 be 0° 55', Jupiter being on the north side of Neptune. 

 Jupiter will set at 2.37 a.m. The motion of the two 

 objects is so slow that in the earlier hours of the 

 night of April 19 their relative positions will be but 

 slightly different from that at the time of conjunction on 

 April 20 at 4 a.m. Neptune will be situated in Cancer 

 about 2^° east-south-east of the star cluster called 

 Praesepe and \\° east of the star SCancri. Neptune 

 may be easily picked up in a good telescope, but is 

 not brighter than about eighth magnitude. To identify 

 this faint object if the small stars north of Jupiter 

 are unknown requires that the observer should make 

 a diagram of the objects in the field of the telescope 

 and compare it with later observations in a few weeks' 

 time. At the period of conjunction Neptune will be 

 stationary. 



A Nova in a Spiral Nebula. — Ast. Nach., 5038, 

 contains a note by Prof. Wolf on the discovery of a 

 nova in the faint soiral nebula N.G.C. 2608 (position 

 for i860, R.A. 8h.* 26-7m., N. decl. 28° 56'). The 

 nebula is shaped like the letter S ; the star is near 

 the left-hand point of the upper curve. There are two 

 nuclei, of which the north preceding is the brighter. The 

 nova is i8-6" from this nucleus, in P. A. 280°. It was 

 discovered on a plate taken on February 8 last, and 

 was afterwards found to be registered faintly on plates 

 taken on January 25 (near edge of plate, bad image) 

 and February 7. Plates taken in previous years were 

 examined, and showed no trace of the star; a small 

 nebular condensation was, however, visible in the 

 neighbourhood. The latest available plate was taken 

 on 19 1 8 February 5. 



Short exposures were secured of the nebula on 

 February 11 and 12; the nova appeared brighter 

 visually on the former date. On the latter its photo- 

 graphic magnitude was 107. A sketch-map of the 

 field is given in Ast. Nach., with magnitudes of com- 

 parison stars. It is important to obtain good light- 

 curves of these novae in spirals, as they sometimes 

 give a clue to the absolute magnitude of the star, and 

 hence of the distance of the spiral. The region will 

 be observable for the next two months. 



Observations on March 10 gave the magnitude of 

 the nova as 11-5. 



I'he Madrid Observatory. — The " Anuario del 

 ( )t)servatorio de Madrid para 1920," in addition to the 

 usual almanac information, particulars of the sun- 

 spots and prominences in 19 18, and meteorological 

 observations, contains a useful article by Senor C* 

 Puente on methods of determining time and latitude 

 by means of portable instruments in the field. Special 

 attention is directed to the circumzenithal tele'scope 

 designed by Nu§l and Fric, of Prague, which consists 

 of a small horizontal telescope which can be rotated 

 in azimuth. .\ silvered prism with vertical angle a 

 i-~ mounted outside the object-glass; the upper face 

 reflects light from a star of • altitude i8o°-a, the 

 lower face light from the same star after reflection 

 1)\ a very small mercury trough. Coincidence of the 

 two images is observed in the telescope, and gives the 

 instant when the star's altitude is i8o°-o. There are 

 some advantages in making this angle equal to the 

 latitude, but this is not essential. Tables are given 

 facilitating the construction of working catalogues. 

 Observations of several known stars make it possible 

 to deduce both time and latitude. The instrument is 

 similar to the almucantar in theory, .but far more 

 portable aad easier to work with. The absence of 

 all webs and screws is a decided advantage. 



NO. 2633, VOL. 105] 



National Education. 



'T'HE fiftieth annual meeting of the National Union 

 -■• of Teachers, founded in 1870, at which some 

 2000 delegates were present, representing a 

 membership of 113,000 as compared with 400 on its 

 formation, was held during Easter week at Margate. 

 The proceedings were opened by a well-timed and 

 thoughtful address on the part of the new president. 

 Miss J. F. Wood, of the Fielden School, Manchester 

 (herself a pioneer in the endeavour to bring oppor- 

 tunities of advanced secondary education within the 

 reach of children leaving school during their fourteenth 

 or fifteenth \ear), in which she reviewed the 

 history of popular education since the Act of 1870, 

 recounting its onward progress and making clear the 

 objects still to be achieved, to ensure which all the 

 various classes of teachers should make a common 

 effort and present a united front. The Act of 1918, 

 with which the name of Mr. Fisher will be linked in 

 honour for all time, provides for fuller opportunities of 

 education for elder children in elementarv schools, for 

 their easier transfer to higher schools bv means of 

 maintenance grants, for closer attention to conditions 

 of physical health and education, and especially for 

 the continued part-time education up to eighteen years 

 of age of adolescents entering industrial life at 

 fourteen. 



The president pleaded for a more unified conception 

 of education if these objects are to be attained and 

 the full value of education to the nation is to be 

 realised. Every child capable of profiting bv advanced 

 courses of education and training, whether given in 

 higher or special schools or in the universities, should 

 be afforded the fullest facilities. Wherever possible 

 the elementary school should be enlarged in scope, with 

 freedom to develop its own "top," and so obviate the 

 necessity for the establishment of the central school 

 with its futile two-year course. The further education 

 of adolescent workers should have careful considera- 

 tion, and, having regard to the mechanical nature of 

 much of their work, also have in view the claims 

 of leisure. WMth the purpose of fitting the primarv 

 teacher for all branches of education service, includ- 

 ing the administrative, he should in all cases, in 

 addition to appropriate professional training, be also 

 required to take a university degree. The claim of 

 women to be afforded equal opportunities with men 

 to aim at the highest in the career they enter and with 

 the same reward was firmly stressed. The future pro- 

 gress of education depends not onlv upon more suit- 

 able buildings, adequate playgrounds and equipment, 

 and smaller classes, but also upon the supply of able and 

 well-educated teachers, who must be attracted first by 

 the nature of the work, and then by adequate pay, status, 

 and prospects. There should be ensured also the full 

 co-operation of the Board of Education, the local 

 education authorities, and the teachers with the view of 

 securing full oartnership in administration, and, above 

 all, of winning for all children a free and liberal 

 education. 



Among the manv important topics discussed during 

 the conference, reference may be made to that dealing 

 with a national system of education, which received 

 the full assent of the conference, and embodied pro- 

 posals for (i) free education for all to the fullest 

 extent of their capacity to profit by it; (2) the pro- 

 vision of maintenance grants where necessary; (3) the 

 due co-ordination of schools, so that graduation from 

 one to another of higher type shall be easy ; (4) uni- 

 form regulations for all schools in respect of size of 

 classes, adequacy of staff, floor- and air-space, 

 nlaving grounds and fields, and swimming baths ; 

 (5) medical examinations, and treatment where neces- 



