July, 1903.] 



KNOWLEDGE, 



167 



The moon is in apogee on the lOtli, aiicl in perigee on 

 the 24th. 



There are two occultations of comparatively bright stars 

 during the mouth. The particulars are as follow: — - 



The Planets. — Mercury is a morning star in Gemini, 

 rising about an hour before the sun at the beginning of 

 the month ; this interval, however, rapidly diminishes and 

 the planet is in superior conjunction with the sun on 

 the 26th. 



Venus is an evening star, and increasing in brilliancy in 

 consequence of her diminishing distance from the earth. 

 She attains her greatest easterly elongation of 45^ 30' on 

 the lOtii, when she exhibits the phase of the half moon and 

 has a diameter of 2.5". The diameter of the planet rapidly 

 mcreases from 22" at the beginning of the month to .32'' 

 at the end, whilst the phase changes to crescent at a 

 correspondingly rapid rate. The period of " greatest 

 brilliancy " does not take place until about one month 

 after greatest elongation. At the middle of the month the 

 planet is on the meridian at 3.7 p.m., having an altitude 

 of 47i° ; a little searching with a pair of field-glasses 

 should enable the planet to be found readily. On the 1st 

 cpf the month Venus sets at 10.30 p.m., and on the 31st 

 at 9 P.M. 



Mars is getting more to the west, and also is decreasing 

 in brightness. During the month the diameter decreases 

 from 8"'4 to 7''"2. On the 1st he sets at 11.4-5 p.m., and 

 on the 31st at 10.10 p.m. The planet is describing a 

 direct or easterly path in Virgo, and on the 22nd jiasses 

 about H° north of Spica. Mars is in quadrature ■with the 

 sun on the 6tli, when he presents the maximum gibbosity, 

 0'87 of the disc being illuminated. The planet is near the 

 moon on the 1st, and after he has set to the British Isles 

 he approaches at 2 a.m. on the morning of the 2ad within 

 9' of the southern limb of the moon. 



Jupiter rises on the 1st about 11.20 p.m., and on the 

 31st at 9.20 p M., therefore as Venus is setting Jupiter is 

 rising. The jilanet is describing a direct path in Aquarius 

 uj) to the 14th, when he is stationary, after which date his 

 motion is retrograde. About the middle of the month the 

 l)olar diameter of the planet is 41"4. This year the planet 

 will be a little better placed than last, since he is gradually 

 moving to a higher declination. 



Saturn is in opposition on the 30th ; he is situated in 

 Capricornus, and rises on the 1st about 9.45 p.m., and 

 on the 31st about 7.45 p.m. The planet, however, is not 

 very favourably situated on account of his south declination 

 of 19^. The polar diameter of the ball is 17"-2, and the 

 outer diameters of major and minor axes of llie ring are 

 42"'9 and 13"'7 respectively. The northern surface of the 

 ring is visible 



Uranus rises about 7 i'.m. on the 1st, and about 5 p.m. 

 on the oLst; near the inid<lle of the month he is on the 

 meri<lian at 10 p.m. As shown by the chart in last 

 month's number, his path lies near 51 Ophiuchi. 



Neptune is out of range, being in conjunction with the 

 sun towards the end of last mouth. 



The Stars.— About 9 p.m. near middle of the month: — 

 Zenith . Draco, Hercules, Lyra. 



South . Corona, Serpens, Ophiuchus, Libra, Scorpio. 

 East . Delphinus, Aquila, Capricornus ; Sagittarius 

 to the S.E. ; Pegasus and Cygnus to the N.E. 

 West . Bootes, Great Bear, Cor Caroli, Leo, Virgo. 

 Nobth . Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia ; Capella on horizon. 



Ctjcss Coltttttn. 



Bv C. D. LOCOCK, B.A. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

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

 bv the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of June Problems (J. C. Candy). 

 No. 1. 

 1. R to Bsq, and mates next move. 

 No. 2. 

 Kev-move— 1. R to Kt2. 

 If 1. . ' . P to R3, 2. R to E2. 

 1. . . . KtoK5, 2. RtoB2. 

 Soltjtions received from "Aljaha," 2, 4; W. Nash, 

 2, 4; G. A. Forde (Major), 0, 0; "Looker-on," 2, 4; 

 W. H. S. M., 2. 4; G. W. Middleton, 2, 4: " Quidam," 

 2, 4; J. W. Dixon. 2, 4; C. Johnston, 2, 4 ; H. F. Culmer, 

 2, 4; T. Dale, 2, 4; E. A. Servante, 2, 4; A. H. H. 

 (Croydon), 2, ; W. J. Lawson, 0, 0. 



Solution of Conditional Problem (Mrs. Baird). 

 White's last move was P (Q5) x Kt at K6. He retracts 

 this and plays instead B to Ktsq. Black then plays Kt to 

 QB4, allowing B x B mate. 



Correctlv solved bv J. W. Dixon, C Johnston, G. A. 

 Forde (Major), W. H S. M., H. F. Culmer, W. Nash, 

 T. Dale. " ^ 



(x. A. Forde (Major). — Probably I need not point out 

 whei-e you have gone astray. I suspect that your 1. RQB5 

 was a clerical error. 



W. Nash. —15. P to Kt3 was an unfortunate misprint 

 for B to Kt3. So also 18. R to Q2 for B to Q2, as you 

 correctly guess. 



P. H. Williams. — Many thanks. They shall appear 

 before the year is out. 



Hamilton White. — I must explain that a " cook," in 

 chess parlance, signifies a second solution. To " suspect a 

 cook " means therefore to suspect the possibility of a 

 second solution ; not, as you appear to take it, to suspect 

 the bona fides of a correspondent. 



E. A. Servante. — I expect that your problems will be 

 found up to the standard. 



SOLUTION TOURNEY. 

 The following are the )irincipal scores u]i to the end of 



June : 



W. Nash 



Looker-on 



J. W. Dixon ... 



O. Johnston 



W. H. S. M. .. 



G. W. Middleton 



Alpha .. 



A. II H. (Croydoin 



Quidam 



38 

 38 

 38 

 38 

 34 

 :U 



oO 



