56 



KNOWLEDGE 



[Januaby 1, 1890. 



80m. P.M. on the 28rd ; 8h. 18m. p.m. on the 26tli ; and 

 5b. 7m. P.M. on the 29th. Mimima of Lambda Tauri (c/. 

 " Face of the Sky " for December 18H8) talvf place at lib. 

 Dm. P.M. on the 3rd ; 9h. 52m. p.m. on the 7th ; Hh. 44ni. 

 P.M. on the 11th; 7b. 36m. p.m. on tlie 15tb; 6b. 2!lm. 

 p.m. on the 19th ; 5h. 20m. p.m. on the 23rd ; and 4b. 

 13m. P.M. on the 27th. The beautiful red star R Leonis 

 (c/. " Face of the Sky" for JIarch 18KH) attams a maxi- 

 mum on the 30tb. Mercury is %-isible as an evening star 

 during the greater portion of the month, but is in a bad 

 position for observation owing to bis southern declination. 

 On the 1st be sets at 5h. Im. p.m.. lb. Im. after the sun, 

 with an apparent diameter of SJ", and a southern declina- 

 tion of 23" 9'. He is at his greatest eastern elongation 

 (18° 51') at Sh. A.M. on the 14th. On the 21st he sets at 

 5h. 58m. P.M., lb. 30m after the sun, with an apparent 

 diameter of 8^", and a southern declination of 141°. At 

 6h. P.M. on the 29th be is in inferior conjunction with the 

 Sim. During the month he passes from Sagittarius into 

 Capricornus. On the evening of the 4tb be will be near 

 the 6tb magitude star 4 Capricomi ; at 3b. p.m. on 

 the 13tb be will be about 1^' s.p. the 4th magnitude 

 star Capricomi. On this evening be sets at 5b. 58m. 

 P.M. Venus is practically in^■isible. Mars is a morning 

 star, rising on the 1st at lb. 57m. a.m., with an apparent 

 diameter of 6|", and a southern declination of lOj". 

 On the 31st be rises at Ih. 30m. a.m. with an apparent 

 diameter of 8"-0, and a southern declination of 15^°. 

 During the month he passes from Mrgo into Libra, but 

 does not approach any naked-eye star very closely. Vesta 

 is in opposition to the sun on -January 18th, when she 

 rises at 4b. 24m. p.m., with a northern declination of 23i°, 

 and is then distant rather less than 140 millions of miles 

 from us. Vesta will appear at this opposition as a 6^- 

 magnitude star, and is considered to be the largest of 

 the minor planets. From photometrical determinations. 

 Stone made the diameter of this minor planet 214 miles, 

 Argelander 270, Pickering 319. By measurement of the 

 disc Schroeter made the diameter 430 miles, Miidler 300, 

 Taccbini (at the very favourable opposition of IHsO, when 

 he used a power of 1000 on the refractor at Palermo) 880 

 miles. Secchi, comparing it with the first satellite of 

 •Jupiter, estimated the diameter at 450 miles, and " ili 

 cDliiir lamiata ccifico." Vesta is situated a little to the 

 N.W. of Prsesepe at the beginning of the month, and 

 describes a retrograde path tlu'ougb Cancer to the con- 

 fines of Gemini. .Jupiter is in conjunction with the sun 

 on the 10th. Saturn is in a very favourable position for 

 observation, rising on the 1st of the month at 8h. 33m. 

 P.M. with an apparent diameter of 19", and a northern 

 declination of 11° 39' (the major axis of the ring-system 

 bemg 43^", and the minor 6^" in diameter). On the 31st 

 he rises at 6h. 25m. p.m., with a northern declination of 

 12° 21', and an apparent diameter of 19V' (the major axis 

 of the ring-system being 45", and the minor 7" in 

 diameter). On the evening of .January 3rd Titan will be 

 about 30" ». a little p. the planet, and lapetus will be at 

 his greatest western elongation, at which time he is at 

 bis brightest. At about lib. 30ni. p.m. on the 11th Titan 

 will be 29" south of the planet, and on the evening of the 

 19th about 32" n. a little p. At 8b. p.m. on the 21st 

 lapetus wiU be 19" north of Saturn. At lib. p.m. on the 

 22nd Rhea and lapetus will apparently fonu one object. 

 At 9h. 30m. p.m. on the 27th Titan will be 31" south of 

 Salum. As L'ranus does not rise till 20m. before midnight 

 on the last day of the month, we defer an ephemeris of 

 bim till February. Neptune is still in a very favourable 

 position for observation, rising on the 1st at lb. 29m. 

 P.M. with an apparent diameter of 2i", and a northern 



declination of 18° .58'. On the 31st he rises at lib. 26m. 

 A.M. He describes a very short path to the S.I-3. of 43 

 Tauri. .January is a favouraiile month for the oliservation 

 of shooting stars, the most important shower being the 

 (Jiiailrti)itiilx, the radiant point being in R.A. 15b. i2m., 

 and 53° nortli declination, the greatest display being 

 visible during the morning hours of .January 1-3. The 

 moon will be full at ■'^h. 37m. a..m. on the 0th, enters her 

 last quarter at Gh. 83m. a.m. on the 14th, is new at lib. 

 49m. P.M. on the 20tb, and enters her first quarter at 8h. 

 16m. P.M. on the 20tb. On the 2nd, at lib. 8m. p.m., the 

 3|^ magnitude star c Tauri will disappear at an angle of 

 178° from the vertex, and reappear at lib. 57m. p.m. at 

 an angle of 271°. On the 8rd the 5^ magnitude star / 

 (100) T'auri will disappear at 4h. 5m. p.m. at an angle of 

 18° from the vertex, and reappear at 4b. 40m. at an angle 

 of 299°. At 4b. 12m. a.m. on the 4th the Oth magnitude 

 star 114 Tauri will make a near approach to the lunar 

 limb at an angle of 224°. At 5b. 20m. p.m. the same 

 evening the Oth magnitude star 141 Tauri will disappear 

 at an angle of 60° fi'om the vertex, and reappear at 6h. 

 22m. at an angle of 242° ; the 6tb magnitude star 6 

 Geminorum disappearing at lib. 35m. p.m. at an angle of 

 120°, and reappearing at Oh. .I4m. a.m. the next morning 

 at an angle of 286°. At lb. 49m. on the morning of the 

 5th the 3-1 magnitude star r; Geminorum will make a near 

 approach to the lunar limb at an angle of 87° ; and at 5h. 

 54m. A.M. the same day the 3rd magnitude star /x Gemino- 

 rum will disappear at an angle of 49° from the vertex, 

 and reappear twelve minutes later at an angle of 23°. At 

 9h. 26m. P.M. on the 6th the 6J magnitude star 84 

 Geminorum will disappear at an angle of 28°, and reap- 

 pear at lOh. 39m. p.m. at an angle of 257°. At 4h. 16m. 

 A.M. on the 7th the O-i magnitude star 7 Cancri will dis- 

 appear at an angle of 135°, and reappear at oh. 19m. a.m. 

 at an angle of 279". At 6b. 34m. the same morning the 

 5i magnitude star /x- Cancri will disappear at an angle 

 of 75°, and reappear at 7h. Kim. at an angle of 840°. At 

 2b. 3m. A.M. on the 14th the 6th magnitude star 80 

 Virgmis will disappear at an angle of 341°, and reajipear 

 at 2h. 48m. a.m. at an angle of 259° fi-om the vertex. At 

 8b. 34m. A.M. on the 16tb the Oth magnitude star o' Librse 

 will disappear at an angle of 3° from the vertex, and re- 

 appear at 4h. 30m. a.m. at an angle of 244°. At Ob. 

 24m. A.M. on the 17th the 5th magnitude star if/ Ophiucbi 

 will disappear at an angle of 53°, and reappear at an 

 angle of 234° at 7b. 35m. a.m. At 6h. 39m p.m. on the 

 24th the 5th magnitude star 30 Piscium will disappear at 

 an angle of 152°, and reappear at 7h. 42m. at an angle of 

 328° ; and the 5th magnitude star 38 Piscium will dis- 

 appear the same evening at 8h 24m. p.m. at an angle of 

 131°, and reappear, the moon having set at the time, at 

 9h. 17m. P.M. at an angle of 356°. At 6h. 28m p.m. on 

 the 29th the 6th magnitude star B.A.C. 1272 Tauri will 

 make a near approach to the lunar disc at an angle of 8° 

 from the vertex. 



SSai^tst Column. 



By W. Mo.nt.\CtU Gattie. 



DISCARDIXG IXSTE.\D OF TRUMPING. 



IT is frequently advantageous to abstain fi-om trumping 

 a losing trick when a good discard can be made by 

 passing it, or when it is not desirable to obtain the 

 lead, or when the suit is one which partner wishes 

 to clear. All these conditions are fidfiUed in the 

 following band, which is taken from actual play. 



