72 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Maki ii, 1907. 



The Face of the Sky for March. 



r>y W. Shackleton, F.R.A.S. 



The Sun. — On the 1st the Sun rises at 6.50 and sets at 

 5.37; on the 31st he rises at 5.42 and sets at 6.28. The 

 Sun enters the sign of Aries at 7 p.m. on the 21st, when 

 Spring comment es. 



The Solar disc has been fairly well marked with Sun- 

 spots of late. At the time of writing there are two 

 conspicuous spots visible. 



The position of the Sun's axis, equator, and belio 

 graphic longitude of the centre of the disc is shown in 



The Zodiacal light should be looked for in the west 

 for a few hours after sunset. 



The Moon : — 



Occultations. — The following are the cccultations 

 of the brighter stars visible at Greenwich : — 



The Planets. — Mercury (Mar. 1, R.A. 23 h 50™ < 

 Dec. N.o°3i'; Mar. 31, K.A. 23" i8°>; Dec. S. 4 4') 

 is an evening star in Pisces during the early part of the 

 month. On the 2nd the planet is at greatest elongation 

 of 18 9' E. from the Sun, when he sets at 7.26 p.m., or 

 if hours after the Sun. Hence, about this date, he is 

 favourably placed for observation immediately after 

 sunset. The planet is in inferior conjunction with the 

 Sun on the 18th. 



Venus (Mar. 1, R.A. igh 42™ ; Dec. S. 19 24'; 

 Mar. 31, R.A. 22'' 2"'; Dec. S. 12 22') is a morning 

 star in Capricornus, rising at 4.50 a.m. on the 1st and 

 4.30 a.m. on the 31st. The telescopic appearance of the 

 planet is gibbous, -7 of the disc being illuminated. 



Mars (Mar. 1, R.A. i6 h 50 m ; Dec. S. 2i°56'; Mar. 31, 

 R.A. i7 h 57 m ; Dec. S. 23 30') is a morning star in 

 Ophiuchus, rising at 2 a m. on the 15th. The planet is 

 getting within range of ordinary telescopes, the apparent 

 diameter of the disc being 8". 



Jupiter (Mar. 1, R.A. 6" 4™ ; Dec. N. 23029'; Mar. 31, 

 R.A. 6 n i2 m ; Dec. N. 23 31') is describing a short 



direct path about 1° North of the star ij Geminorum. 

 I In planet is very conspicuous, and is due South about 

 6.30 p.m. near the middle of the month. The equatorial 

 diameter on the 15th is 39", whilst the Polar diameter 

 is 2"'5 smaller. 



The following table gives the satellite phenomena 

 observable before midnight : — 



" Oc. D." denotes the disappearance of the Satellite behind the disc, and 

 " Oc. R." its reappearance; " Tr. I." the ingress of a transit across the disc, 

 and " Tr. E." its egress ; " Sh. I." the ingress of a transit of the shadow across 

 the disc, and " Sh. E." its egress ; " Ec. D." denotes disappearance of Satellite 

 by Eclipse, and 'Ec. R." its reappearance. 



Saturn (Mar. 1, R.A. 23 11 14""; Dec. S. 6° 57'; 

 Mar. 31, R.A. 23I1 28 m ; Dec. S. 5 33') is in con- 

 junction with the Sun on the 9th, and hence is 

 unobservable. 



Uranus (Mar. 15, R.A. i8 h 53™ ; Dec. S. 23 13') 

 is a morning star in Sagittarius, rising about 3 a.m. 



Neptune (Mar. 15, R.A. 6 h 43™ ; Dec. N. 22 13') is 

 situated in Gemini about 3 South of the star e Gemin- 

 orum. The planet is difficult to identify among the 

 numerous small stars appearing in the same field of 

 view, but can be detected by his motion if observa- 

 tions are made some nights apart. 



Meteor Showers : — 



Minima of Algol occur on the 1st at 11.46 p.m., on 

 the 4th at 8.34 p.m., and the 24th at 10.17 p.m. 



Double Stars. — 7 Leonis, X.' 1 14"', N. 20° 22', 

 mags. 2,4; separation 3"-6. 



The brighter component is of a bright orange tint, 

 whilst the fainter is more yellow. 



1 Leonis, XI." 19™, N. n° 5', mags. 4^, -jh; separa- 

 tion 2''-4. This object requires a favourable night and 

 a fairly high power on small telescopes. 



a Canum Venat, (Cor Coroli), XII. h 52™, N. 38 49', 

 mags. 2-5, 6-5, separation 20"; easy double, can be seen 

 with moderately low powers, even in 2-in. telescopes. 



Cluster. — M 44, the Praesepe in Cancer, visible to 

 the naked eye as a nebulous patch, best seen and easily 

 resolvable with a pair of opera or field glasses. 

 Situated about midway and a little to the west of the 

 line joining « and 5 Cancri. 



