August, 1903.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



191 



at no great distance above the horizon. At Dawlisli, on the Deron 

 coast, the aspect of the meteor was ilccribed as splendid, and as 

 appearing under the form of a fiery bolt dropping into the sea. 



The Gkeat Pekseid Steeam. — The maximum of this shower 

 will probably occur on the morning of August 13 this year, and 

 observations should be obtained during the nights of the 10th to 14th, 

 if clear, with a view to fixing the hour of greatest abundance. 

 Observers of the display should carefully record tlie flights of non- 

 Perseids as well as the most brilliant Perseids. But it is scarcely 

 desirable to preserve details of the fainter members of this system, 

 myriads of which have been already recorded during its previous 

 returns. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR AUGUST. 



Hy W. Shackleton, f.r.a.s. 



The Sun. — On the 1st the sun rises at 4.24 and sets at 

 7.48 ; on the 31st he rises at 5.10 and sets at 6.50. 



Suuspots and faculse may now be observed almost anj 

 day ; at the time of writing there is a fairly large spot 

 near the central meridian. 



The Moon : — 



The moon is in apogee on the 6th, and in perigee on 

 the 21st. 



There are no occultations of the brighter stars observ- 

 able at convenient hours. 



The Planets. — Mercury is an evening star in Leo, but 

 is not well pLiced for observation, as he sets too soon after 

 the sun. 



Venus is now very bright, but does not set so late as 

 during the past few months. The planet is at greatest 

 hrilliancy on the 12th, when the earth is receiving the 

 maximum amount of light from the disc, this point as 

 determined by the celebrated problem of Halley's is when 

 the elongation of the planet is about 40°, the diameter of 

 Venus about 39", and the enlightened part about 10". 

 The planet, therefore, at this time appears a little more 

 than a quarter illuminated, and corresponds to the moon 

 when five days old. The point of maximum lirilliancy 

 takes place about 36 days before inferior conjunction, 

 hence the planet rapidly approaches the sun towards the 

 end of the month, setting on the 31st about 6.55 p.m. 

 Venus can readily be picked up during the day with a pair 

 of field-glasses, and near the time of greatest brilliancy, 

 having thus once found it, it can frequently lie seen with 

 the naked eye. On the 12th the planet is on the meridian 

 at 2.26 P.M., and has an altitude of 36^^. 



Mars is still observable throughout the month soon after 

 sunset ; he is, however, Ity no means the conspicuous object 

 that he was. Near the beginning of the month he is not 

 far from Spica Virginis, but moves easterly into Libra 

 towards the end of the month. The lustre of the planet is 

 rapidly decreasing, as the apparent diameter is only d-iS" 

 on the 15th, 088 of his disc being illuminated. 



Jupiter is again rising sufficiently early that observa- 

 tions may be made before midnight. On th(> 1st he rises 

 about 9.20 p.m., and on the 31st at 7.15 p.m. Near the 

 middle of the mouth he is on the meridian at 2 a.m., when 

 the apparent polar and equatorial diameters are 46" and 

 49" respectively. 



The most interesting satellite phenomena visible before 

 midnight are as follow : — 



Ec. = Eclipse. Tr. = Transit. Oc. = Occultation. Sh. = Shadow. 

 E. =■ Egress. I. = Ingress. D. = Disappears. R. = Reappears. 



Saturn is' rather low down in Capricornus. On the 1st 

 he rises about 7.40 p.m., and on the 31st at about 5.30 

 before sunset. Near the middle of the month he souths 

 at 11 p.m. ; his polar diameter is 17""2. 



The northern surface of the ring is visible and the ring 

 plane is inclined to our line of vision at an angle of 19". 

 The diameter of the outer major and minor axes are 43" 

 and 14"'3 respectively. 



Uranus is low do^vn in Ophiuchus, not far from and 

 44 Ophiuchi (the chart given in the June number enables 

 the planet to be found readily) ; the disc can be made out 

 with a power of about 100, the diameter being 3"9. On 

 the 1st the planet is on the meridian at 8.48 p.m., and on 

 the 31st at 6.48 p.m., setting on these dates at about 

 12.45 a.m. and 10.45 p.m. 



Neptune is a morning star, and not observable at con- 

 venient hours. 



The Stars. — About 9 p.m. at the beginning of the 

 mouth the constellations to be noticed are : — 

 Zenith . Lyra {Vega), Hercules, Draco. 

 South . Sagittarius, Scorpio, Ophiuchus, AquUa ; 



Aquarius and Capricornus to the S.E. 

 West . Bootis, Corona ; Great Bear to the N.W., 

 Virgo and Libra, S.W. 



Cygnus, Delphiuus, Pegasus, Ai'ies ; Andro- 

 meda and Cassiopeia to the N.E. 

 North . Ursa Minor, Auriga (Capella on horizon). 



Minima of Algol occur on the 13th at 10.55 p.m., and on 

 the 16th at 7.43 p.m. 



East 



C^tss Column. 



Bv C. D. LococK, B.. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

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

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of July Problems (P. G. L. F.). 

 No. 1. 

 1. Kt to B3, ;uid mates nest move. 

 No. 2. 

 Key-move — 1. Q to K3. 

 If 1. . . . P to B4, 2. Q to K7ch. 

 1. . . . Pto K5ch, 2. RxRPdis. ch. 

 1. ... P to K6, 2. R to 155 double ch. 



1. . . . P to Kt6, 2. R X KP dis. ch. 

 Solutions received Irom "Alpha," 2, 4; W. Nash, 

 2, 4; G. A. Forde (Major), 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 ; " Looker-on," 2, 4 ; W. H. S. M., 2, 4. 



