70 



KNOWLEDGE, 



[March, ]903. 



north-east amonfist the stars in the northern region of flemini. An 

 ephemeris was given in Knowi.bdce for Fobruarv, 1903, and the 

 following diagram will indicate the apparent path of tlie object until 

 May. The motion of the comet will carry it near several fairly 

 bright stars which will greatly facilitate its identification : — 



March 7 ... Comet K° South of £ Geminorum (Mag. 3'2). 



-April 8 ...> Comet f" North of t Geminorum (Mag. 4'6). 



,, 26 ... Comet 1J° North of a Geminorum (Mag. 2'0). 



"■" i-right I06 Aicension loo ,95 



Path of Giacobini's Comet (1902 d). 190:5, Fehruary 11— M:i.v 2. 



The remarkable feature in connection with this comet is its great 

 perihelion distance, which amounts to 2-75, or 256 millions of miles, 

 and exceeds that of any other comet observed since 1729. The bright 

 comet of that year had a perihelion distance of 4.'0i35, which is equiva- 

 lent to 380 millions of miles ! Barnard's comet of 1885 (IV.) was 

 also somewhat exceptional in regard to the wide interval (2295, or 

 213 millions of miles) separating it from the sun, but our present 

 visitor is much more remarkable in this respect. 



GiACOBixi's Comet (19C3 a). — A comet was found at Nice on 

 January 15, near 3 Piscium, and the position fell so near the 

 ephemeris place computed for Tempel-Swift's comet that at first some 

 uncertainty was felt whether it was a new object or a return of the 

 periodical comet referred to. But the motion was soon found incom- 

 patible with that of the latter ; the object proved a new comet 

 approaching its perihelion and rapidly becoming brighter. Its motion 

 was carrying it to the N.E , and at the opening of March the comet 

 may be found close to 7 Pegasi (Algenih), and will be nearly twelve 

 times as bright as on the date of its discovery, when it was estimat«d 

 of the 10th magnitude. 



The Quadkantids. — The January Quadrantids, or Boiitids, as 

 they might more fittingly be designated, seeing that the small asterism 

 formed by Bode (1801) between Bootes, Draco and Hercules, and 

 called Quiidraus Munilis, does not seem likely to be acknowledged 

 either by present or future astronomers. There is always, however, 

 a serious objection to changing a name which has become familiar bv 

 long usage, for doubts and complications naturally ensue, and it is 

 (luest'onable whether it is not desirable to retain an old title, inappro- 

 jiriate though it may appear, preferably to an alteration which must 

 induce confusion. 



The January meteor shower was fairly well observed this year, 

 thoui»h the weather was very unsettled. On .January 2 the display 

 was extremely feeble ; the maximum occurred on January 3, but it by 

 no means formed a bright and abundant return. The mean position 

 of the radiunt derived from a number of independent determinations 

 was at 228''-^52''. In the General Catalogue of Jladiants (189S) the 



average centre from 32 positions is at 230° 6-l-51°-l. Three pretty 

 bright Quadrantids were doubly observed, and their real paths worked 

 out as follows ; — 



Heiifht Heiuht Length Velocity 

 (i.M.T. at be- iit end- of per Raftiuut. Position 



19o;t. li. in. giniiiiif?. in^. Path. sec. ., a over. 



Jan. 3. 7 25 60 47 52 16 228 -h 52 

 12 5 65 49 41 2G 



12 o'.n. 67 54 30 20 



Wilts.— Hants. 

 228 -h 53 Herts.— Bucks. 

 227 + 50 Berks.— Hants. 



A considerable number of pretty bright meteors (chieHy Quadrantids) 

 were recorded, but the ab»\ e appear to be the only acciirdances, for 

 the observers were rarely watching the sky simultaneously. 



Fireballs.— Si-veral fireballs and bright long-pathcd meteors were 

 observed in January. Three of these made their apparitions during 

 the severe frost and clear moonlit nights which jjrcvailcd during the 

 second week of the month. Appearing as they did near the jieriod of 

 the full moon these objects managed to elude regular meteoric 

 observers, but a considerable number of descriptions have been 

 received from other sources. Fine meteors were also seen on January 

 25 and 28, and the following is a summary ; — 



January 10, 9h. 30m. — Brilliant fireball, about one-third as bright 

 as the moon, dii-ected very slowly from a radiant in Alonoceros. 

 Height 63 to 31 miles, and velocity 18 miles per second. An obsii-ver 

 in N. Kent describes it as " a large comet with a tail of golden sparks 

 only a few yards away, and coming within hfAf a yard of the ground, 

 then slowly ascending, wriggling like a serpent, until it raixcil with 

 the stars." 11 observations. 



January 13, 61i. 15m. — Bright, long pathed, rocket-like meteor 

 ascended from N. horizon and passed to S. over western counties of 

 England. Height about 55 miles, and luminous llight of about 200 

 miles traversed at about Similes per second. Radiant near '/ Boiitis. 

 3 observations. 



January 14, 7h. 7m. — Fireball about 2 x ?, with slow horizontal 

 flight over Rutland, Leicester and Stafford at an elevation of about 

 57 to 54 miles. Velocity 21 miles per second. One observer at 

 Highgate, N., guesses the time of apjjarition as 5 or 6 minutes 

 after 7, and says " the air was too cold for me to take my watch out." 

 Radiant in Monoceros near E. horizon at 120' — 3°. 8 observations. 



January 25, 7h. 59m. — Fine meteor of Jovian lustre travelled from 

 S.E. to N.W. from over Surrey to Warwick, descending from a 

 heightof 95 tol6miles. Radiant near C Geminorum. 4 observations. 



January 28, llh. 44m. — Fireball equal to Venus, with a long flight 

 and slow apparent speed. Fell from a height of 62 miles above a 

 point W. of York to 41 miles above a point closely E. of Bristol. 

 Path 181 miles, and velocity about 20 miles per second. Radiant at 

 280^ + 43° near a Lyra, close to the N. by E. horizon. This meteor 

 was well observed by Prof. A. S. Herschel, Slough, Mr. T. \V. 

 Backhouse, Sunderland, Mr. J. H: Bridger, Farnborough, Dr. H. 

 Wliichello, Chester, and others. 12 observations. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR MARCH. 



By W. Shackleton, f.b.a.s. 



The Sun. — On the 1st the sun rises at 6. .50 and 

 sets at 5.3t) ; on the 31st he rises at 5.43 and sets 

 at 6.28, thus during the month the day lengthens by 

 2 hours. 



Spring commences at 7 p.m. on the 21st, when the suu 

 enters the sigu of Aries. 



Sun-spots are of more frequent occurrence, and the 

 sun's disc may be examined for small spots with some 

 hope of reward. 



The Zodiacal Light is now in the most favourable position 

 for observation in the west for two or three hours after 

 sunset. 



There is an annular eclipse of the sun on the 2Stth, 

 invisible in this country but visible over Eastern Asia. 



The Moon : — 



The moon is in perigee on the 10th, and in apogee on 

 the 22nd. 



