January, 1903.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



23 



The Planets. — Mercury is an evening star in Capri- 

 eornus ; he attains his greatest elongation of 18^ 4.5' on 

 the 18th, when he sets Ih. 45m. after the sun. 



Venus is also an evening star, setting soon after the 

 sun. On the evening of the -jOth, when the planet sets 

 at 6 P.M., she is in close conjunction with Jupiter, Jupiter 

 being only 0° 44' to the north ; it is unfortunate that the 

 planets set so soon after the sun, for it will only he possible 

 to observe this exceptionally close approach in twilight. 



Mars now rises before midnight ; his path lies in Virgo, 

 and on the morning of the 11th he passes to the south of 

 y Virginis by only a few minutes of arc. At .5 a.m. on 

 the 19th the planet is in conjunctiou with the moon, Mars 

 being 3° 3-5' to the north. The gibbosity of the disc is 

 considerable, the illuminated portion being 0'91 of the 

 whole. 



Jupiter is practically observable only during the first 

 few days of the month, but the close conjunction of the 

 planet with Venus on the 30th is interesting, and may 

 possibly be seen in twilight. 



Saturn is not observable, being in conjunction with the 

 sun on the 21st. 



Uranus is also out of range, being too near the sun. 



Neptune is visible throughout the night. On the 1st 

 he is very close to rj Geminoriim, having the same right 

 ascension as the star, and being only 15' to the south. 

 Although the most distant of the planets, he hardly repays 

 the trouble of finding ; still it is an object that one wishes 

 to have seen, and with the help of the accompanying 

 chart the planet may be picked out from amongst the 

 rich star-fields through which his path lies. 



Ch.xrt sli.nviiifi patli cf Xci>luiif in (K-mini tliniiigliout 

 t)ie year 190;i. 



The Spars. — The positions of tjio principal constellations 

 near the middle of the month at 9 p.m. are as follows : — 



Zknitk . Perseus, Auriga (Capelln). 



South . Pleiades, Tatirus, Orion, with Aries and Cetus 



towards the S.VV.. and Prorijoii and Siriun 



towards the S.E. 



Wrst . Pegasus, Androni?da, Aquarius and Pisces ; 



Cygnus to the N.W. 

 E\sr . Leo (KfjiUiif:) low down, Oaucor, Gremini 



(OaMor and Pollux) high up. 

 NouTU . Ursa Minor and Draco below Pnhirix. with 



Cassiopeia to the left and Ursii. Major to 



the right. 



Minima of Algol occur at convenient times on the 7th 

 at 1 1.51 P.M.. IDth at 8.40 p.m., 13lh at 5.29 p.m.. 28th at 

 1.34 A.M., and 30th at 10.23 p.m. 



Cftcss Column. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

 to C. D. LococK, Netherfield, Camberley, and be posted 

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of December Problems. 

 No. 22. 

 Key- move. — 1. P to B7. 

 If 1 .... Kt to K2 (or R3), 2. Q to K8, etc. 

 1. . . . KttoB3, 2. QtoB4eb, etc. 



1 . , . . K to K4, 2. Q to K8ch, etc. 



1. ... B to Kt7, 2. Q to B3ch, etc. 



After 1. ... B to B6 there is a triple continuation bv 

 2. Q to B4ch, Q to Boch, and Kt to KtSch. 



No. 23. 

 Key-move. — 1. B to Q5. 

 If 1. . . . K to Q6, 2. Q to QKt2, etc. 



1. ... P to K6 (or B to Q2), 2. QxEch, etc. 

 1, ... R to QBO. 2. KtxR. etc. 



1. . . . R < P (or R to KRr.\ 2. Q to QKt2, etc. 

 1. ... Kt to B5, 2. QxR, etc. 



1. . . . R toKt6, 2. PxR, etc. 



1. . . . R toKtS, 2. RxR, etc. 



1. . . . R toK6, 2. QxR, etc 



There is a dual after 1. ... B to Kt4, by 2. Q xRch 

 and Q to QKt2 ; and after 1. ... R to QR6,"by 2. Kt x R 

 or Q to QKt2. (i. Woodcock points out a pretty " trv" by 

 1. Q to B7, BxQ (?), 2. Kt to Btjch. K to K3. 3." B to 

 B8 mate. 



No. 24. 

 Key-move. — 1. Q to R6. 

 If 1. ... K X P, 2. Q X QPch, etc. 



1. . . . BxP, 2. Q to Rsqoh, etc. 



1. . . . PxP, 2. Q to R7ch, etc. 



1. . . . KtxQ, 2. Kt to KGch, etc. 



1. . . . KttoKt3, 2. QxKteh, etc. 

 1. ... P to K6, 2. Kt to B3ch, etc. 



Solutions received Irotn W. Nash, 5, 6, 4 ; W. Jay, 



4, (1, 4; G. Woodcock, 4, 4, 4; G-. A. Forde (Capt.), 4, 4, 4; 

 "Tamen," 4, 5, 4; C. Johnston, 4, 5,4; "Looker-on," 



5, (i, 4; J. W. Dawson, 5, 4. 4; Lieut.-Col. Damaiiia, 4, 0, 4. 

 IF. /(((/. — Will you kindly send your address ? 

 "Tamen." — I have referred again to your solutions of 



the November problems, and find that your score (5, 4, 4) 

 was correctly given. The only dual you pointed out in 

 No. 19 (other than the short mate) was that after 

 1. . . . BxKtP. You did not give the dual in No. 20, 

 and those in No. 21, according to the published rules, do 

 not count. The faulty punctuation was, I think, a printer's 

 error which escajied notice. Tlianks tor your reference to 

 Kno\vi.ed(;e of Pobruary, 1894. I am glad to find that 

 the views therein expressed on the subject of dual short 

 mates were in accord with the final decision given this 

 year. The temporaiT decision given in July this year was 

 certainly incorrect. 



JF. Nai<h. —Your first letter reached me safely. Thanks 

 for your news. Please say from what date you would like 

 your year's subscription to commence. 



The Solution Tourney for 1902 is now ended. Sub- 

 joined are th(> scores of tliose who attempted every 



problem:— •' W. Jay " 120 



" Looker-on "... . IIG 



W.Nash 112 



f J. W. Dawson ... 100 



(C. Johnston 100 



G. Woodcock 90 



" Tamen " ... ... 7^ 



