December, 1908.] 



KNOWLEDGE, 



287 



sign of Capricorniis on the 23rd at Oh. when winter 

 commences. 

 The Moon : — 



The moon is in perigee on the 7th, and in apogee on 

 the 23rd. 



OccuLTATioNs. — The details of the occultations of the 

 brighter stars vi.sible at G-reenwich are as follow : — 



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

 cornus, setting shortly after the sun at the beginning of 

 the month. Towards the end of the month he is approach- 

 ing greatest elongation, and sets in the south-west about 

 1^ hours after the sun, but even then the elongation i.s not 

 a favourable one for easy observation. 



Venus rises about four hours in advance of the sun, 

 and is best observed during this time. The phase of the 

 planet is gibbous, rather more than half of the disc being 

 illuminated, whilst the diameter of the planet has decreased 

 to about 20''. Increasing distance from the earth, together 

 with greater southerly declination, are rapidly diminishing 

 her brilliancy. 



Mars is low down in the south-west, and badly j)laced 

 for observation, in addition to lieing very faint ; he sets 

 about three hours after the sun. 



Jupiter is in quadrature on the 7th, hence about this 

 time he is on the meridian near (i p.m. The. distance of 

 the planet from the earth is increasing, consequently his 

 lustre is diminishing. About the middle of the month 

 the polar and equatorial diameters of the planet are 37"5 

 and 40"T respectively. 



The configurations of the satellites as seen in an 

 inverting telescope at 7 p.m. are as follow : — 



Tlie ciri'le (O) roprosents Jupiter; signifies tlmt the satellito is 

 on tlio disc ; • signifies (liat (lie satellite is bchiml the disc, or in tlie 

 shadow. The numbers are the numbers of the satellites. 



Saturn is in conjunction with Mars on the 2lst, and 

 like that planet is too low down in the south-west to te 

 easy of obsen'atiou. 



Uranus is in conjunction with the sun on the 18th, and 

 therefore unobservable. 



Neptune is near ft Geminorum, their respective positions 

 on the 15th being : — 



Right Ascension. Declination T>. 



Neptune ... 6b. 21m. 7s. ... 22'' 16' 23" 



|W, Geminorum ... 6h. 17m. lis. ... 22" 33' 37" 

 The chart given in the January number shows his position 

 with reference to the surrounding stars. The planet is in 

 opposition on the 27th, hence about this time he souths 

 near midnight. 



The Stars. — The positions of the principal constellations 

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



Zenith . Perseus, Cassiopeia. 



South . Andromeda, Aries, Pleiades, Cetus ; to the 



S.W., Pisces ; to the S.E., Taurus, Orion, 



Sirius rising. 

 West . Delphinus, Cvgnus, Pegasus ; Lvra to the 



N.W. 

 East . Auriga high up, Canis Minor (Proc!/o«) ; Leo 



rising in the N.E. 

 North . Ursa Major, Ursa Miuor, Cepheus, Draco. 



Minima of Algol occur at convenient times on the 3rd 

 at 6.44 P.M., 20th at 11.38 p.m., 23rd at 8.27 p.m., and 

 26th at 5.16 p.m. 



(t\)t^s Column. 



$y C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

 to C. D. LococK, Knowledge Office, 326, High Holborn, 

 and be posted by the 10th of each month. 



If 1. 

 1. 

 1. 



Solutions of November Problems i J. \V. Abbot). 

 No. 1. 

 Author's Key. — 1. B to R3. 

 [There is a second solution by 1. K to BS.] 

 No. 2. 

 Keif-mnve — 1. Kt to Q4. 

 . . "P to B6. 2. Kt X P. 



. . K X Kt, 2. P to B3ch. 



. . K toKt3, 2. RxPch. 



Solutions received from "Alpha," 4, 4; W. Nash, 4. 4; 

 G. A.Forde (Major),4, 4; "Looker-on," 6, 4; W. H. S M., 

 4, 0; G. W. Middletou, 4, 4; " Quidam," 6, 4; J. \V. 

 Dixon. 4, 4 ; C. Johnston, (i. 4 ; H. F. Calmer, 4. 4 ; 

 T. Dale, 4, 4 ; H. S. Braudreth, 4 (No. 1 only). 



As the result of this month's problems. " Looker-on " 

 and C. Johnston at present tie for first place, closely 

 followed by Messrs. Nash and Dixon. 



W. H. S. Jf.— R to R6 is a good " try " in No. 2, but 

 appears to be defeated by 1. ... K to Kt5, and if 

 2. Kt to Q2 (as you give), K to B4. 



Special A\)/iVt'. — Will all corres]iondents kindly note 

 that until further notice all communications should be 

 addressed to C. D. Locock, at the office of Knowledge, 

 326, High Holborn, London. 



