ot 



KNOWLEDGE, 



[April, ]903. 



OccuLTATiONs.— The jirincipal occultations visible at 

 Greenwich are as follows : — 



There is a very favourable eclipse of the moon on the 11th, 

 when the moon is nearly totally eclipsed. The diagram, pro- 

 jected iu the manner described in Knowledge, October, 

 1902, shows the path of the moon through the earth's shadow. 



Diagram showing Path of Moon through Earth's Shadow. 

 The following are the particulars of the eclipse : — ■ 



First contact with the Penumbi'a 

 First contact with the Shadow 

 Middle of the Eclipse 

 Last contact with the Shadow ... 

 Last contact with the Penumbra 



April 11, 9 28 r.M. 



„ 11, 10 34 P.M. 



„ 12, 13 A.M. 



„ 12, 1 52 A.M. 



„ 12, 2 58 A.M. 



Magnitude of Echpse (Moon's diameter = 1) 0-973. 



The Planets.— Mercury is uuobservable during the 

 former part of the month, being in superior conjunction 

 with the sun on the I3th. Towards the end of the month, 

 however, he is becoming well situated for observation, as 

 he sets nearly two hours after the sun. 



Venus is now the most brilliant object in the western 

 sky, and shortly after sunset cannot fail to attract attention. 

 On the 1st she sets at 9.17 p m., and on the 30th about 

 10.45 P.M., or nearly 3| hours after the sun. The apparent 

 diameter of the planet is now 12""6, and the disc presents 

 a fairlv gibbous appearance, the illuminated portion being 

 0-8 of the whole. 



Mars is now available for observation throughout the 

 night. On the 15th he is on the meridian at 10.36 p.m., 

 preceding Spiea by about an hour. He is describing a 

 retrograde path not far from y Virginis. The apparent 

 diameter of the planet is l-i"-6, whilst 0985 of his disc is 

 illumiuated. The north polar cap of the planet is presented 

 towards us. At 7 p.m. on the 10th the moon ^vill be near 

 to Mars, the planet being about 4° to the north. 



Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus are all practically out of 

 range, rising in the early morning about 4, S, and 1 a.m. 

 respectively ; the latter two are also exceptionally low 

 down in the sky. 



Neptune is observable in the evening, and is situated in 

 Gemini ; he is close to ij Geminorum, being only 4 minutes 

 west and 10' south of that star. 



The Starr. — About the middle of the month at 9 p.m. 

 the positions of the principal constellations are as follow : — 



Zenith . Ursa Major. 



North . Polaris ; to the right, Ursa Minor and Draco; 

 to the left, Cassiopeiffi and Perseus ; below, 

 Cepheus and Cygnus. 



South . Leo and Hydra ; to the south-east, Virgo ; to 

 the south-west, Gemini (high up), Procijon 

 and Sirius (setting). 



West . Taurus, Pleiades and Orion, all rather low 

 down. 



East . Arctttrus, Corona, and Hercules ; to the north- 

 east, Vega rising. 

 Minima of Algol occur on the 6th at 10.11 p.m., and 



9th at 7 P.M. 



Cijess 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 March Problems — (By J. C. Candy). 



No. 1. 



1. B to Kt6, and mates next move. 



[Several solvers appear to have overlooked the fact that 



the Black Bishop defends the QBP. Hence, other moves 



with the Bishop are unavailing.] 



No. 2. 

 1. R to Kt3, and mates next move. 



Solutions received from "Alpha," 0, 2 ; W. Nash, 2, 2 ; 

 6. A. Forde (Capt.), 0, 2 ; W. Jay, 2, 2 ; " Looker-on," 

 2.2; A. H. H. (Croydon), 2, 2 ; W. H. S. M., 2. 2; 

 G. W. Middleton, 2,2; " Tamen," 2, 2 ; " Quidam," 2, 2 ; 

 J. W. Dixon, 2, 2 ; C. Johnston, 2, 2 ; H. F. Cidmer, 0, 2 ; 

 G. P. Burns, 2, 0. 



W. Geary. — Very many thanks. Two of them will 

 appear next month, and the remainder during the summer. 



G. P. Bwnis.— In No. 2, if 1. P to R6, B to K3 ; if 

 then 2. Kt to K4, B to E7, or if 2. P to R7, B to Q4. 

 2. Kt X B is, of course, stalemate. 



HamiUon White. — Please send the actual solution of 

 your end- game. There is a mate in seven moves in which 

 all Black's moves are not forced. I am uncertain, there- 

 fore, whether this is your intended solution. 



H. F. Ciilmer. — Thanks for the problem ; I fear, how- 

 ever, that it would never do to use in a solution tourney 

 a problem which has already been published. 



" Quidam." — I am forwarding your complaint as to late- 

 ness of delivery, and hope that the matter may be remedied 

 in future. 



" Tamen.'" — Please see reply above. You must under- 

 stand, however, that rules cannot be relaxed to suit special 

 cases, otherwise there might be no limit to the number of 

 extenuating circumstances which might be urged. 



A. H. H. (Croydon). — Many thanks for the problem. I 

 will examine it, but cannot say for certain in what number 

 it will appear. 



Solution Tourney. — The leading scores at present 

 are : — J. W. Dixon, C. Johnston, W. Jav. " Looker-on," 

 W. H. S. M., W. Nash, 22; "Quidam," 19; G. W. 

 Middleton, 18 ; " Endirby," 18 (no solutions received this 

 month). 



