February 1. 1901.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



47 



ai-e among the more intoresting occultations wliich occur 

 at convenient tunes during tlic montli ; — 



t star l»elow horizon. 



The Pl.\xets, — Mercury is an evening star through- 

 out the month, rea-ching an easterly elongation of 18° 6' 

 on the 19th. About this time ho will be well placc'd 

 for observation, as he remains above the horizon nearly 

 an hour and three quarters after the sun has set. The 

 planet will be found a little south of west. On the 

 evening of the 20th the planet will be a few degrees 

 to the south-wost of the moon.. There are no bright 

 stars near the planet. 



Venus is a morning star throughout the month, but 

 not well placed for obsei-^'ation. On the 11th, the 

 illuminated part of the disc is 0.949, and the planet 

 does not rise luitil nearly 7 a.m. 



Mars aiTivcs at opposition on the morning of the 

 2"2nd, and may be observed throughout the greater part 

 of the night. He remains in Leo, rising shortly after 

 7 pjf. on the 1st, and before 4.30 p.m. on the 28th. 

 As will l)e seen from the appended diagram the opposi- 

 tion is bv no means one of the most favourable, the 



1896 



(901 



1888 



1894 



/ PtHlHEUION 



1892 



1890—-; 



Oppositions of Mar.^. 



distance of the planet from the earth being close upon 

 60 millions of miles, as compared with 35 millions at 

 the most favomable oppositions. The apparent diameter 

 of the planet at the time of this opposition is 13". 8. 

 It is winter in the southern hemisphere of Mars, and 

 the north pole is turned towards the eai-th. 



Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus are morning stars, but 

 not very well placed for observ^ation. On the 14th 

 they rise respectively at 4. .54 a.m., 5.21 a.m., and 

 3.49 A.M. Jupiter and Saturn are in Sagittarius, 

 Uranus in the most southerly part of Ophiuchus. 



Xeptune remains in the most easterly part of 

 Taunis, and dunng the month traverses a very short 

 westerly path nearly midway between 132 Tauri and 

 yj Orionis. 



The Stap.s. — About 9 p.m. at the middle of the month, 



Ursa Major will be in the north-east; Arcturus rising 

 in the north-east; Leo a little south of east; Cancer 

 and Hydra in the south-east; Gimini and Auriga nearly 

 overhead; Canis Minor and Canis Major near the 

 meridian ; Orion a little west of south ; Taurus in the 

 south-west; Aries and Pei-seus in the west; and 

 Andromeda and Cassiopeia towards the north-west. 



A minimum of Algol will occur on the 15th at 

 11.21 I'M., and another on the ISth at 8.10 p.m. 



Cljcsss Column. 



By C. D. LococK, B.A. 

 — ■ — ^ 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

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

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of January Problems. 



(W. Geary.) 



No. 1. 



1. Kt to R5, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 



Key move— 1. Q to QKCi. 



If 1. . . . Kt or RP moves, 2. Kt to Kt:3,-h. 



I. . . . K or KtP moves, 2. Kt to K*!. 



[Kt to Q3 and Kt to KKt2, given by several corre- 

 spondents as keys to No. 1, fail on account of the ro2>lv 

 I. . . . KtPxE.] 



CoERECT Solutions of both problems received from J. 

 Baddelev, H. Le Jeune, B. Harlev, G. Groom, F. J. Lea, 

 G. A. Forde (Capt.), S. G. Luckcock, W. de P. Crousaz, 

 W. H. S, M., J. T. Blakemore. N K. Dutt, Endcrby, F. 

 Dennis, C. L. Massey, Eugene Henry, A. J. Head, G. W , 

 J. Sowden, G. W. Middleton, T. H. Billiugtou, V. Johnston, 

 H. Boves, A.C. Challenger, E. Hunt, Vivien H. Macmeikan, 

 W. E.'P., A. Dod, \V. Jav. A. E. Wiutehouse, W. Geary, 

 W. Bovd. C. F. P.. S. W! Billings. N. B., W. B. AUdrit't, 

 W. F.' P., T. Earl. J. E. Broadbent, C. Child, C. S. 

 Hudson. 



Of No. 1 only from J. M. K., J. A. Nicholson, W. Nash, 

 C. C. Pennington, J. Bernard Corp. 



Of No. 2 onlv from A. H. Machell Co.k, L. J. R. Cripps. 

 J. T. Stockwell, H. L. Gillespie, H. S. Brandreth, .]. W. 

 Meyjes, Aljjha, W. Smith, F. Stokoe, J. Neville. 



P. A. Cohbold. — Solution of No. 2 (December) correct. 

 No. 1, however, cannot be solved by 1. B to R4, on account 

 of 1. ... B to Q7 (!). when 2. R to Q4 is not mate. So 

 also, if 1. B X KP, B to B-'S. Both are good " tri.^s " Of 

 course it would be im]iossililc for you to ])0.st in time from 

 Canada. 



G. A. Fonle. — Thanks for your suggestion. I think, 

 however, that to start numbering t lie problems continuously 

 from the present time would convey a false impression of 

 the antiquity of this ]iage. In the case of a monthly 

 magazine, there is no diflioidty in referring to any problem, 

 e.g., as '■ No. 2 of June, 1897," or " No, 1 of May, 192(;," 

 etc. 



A. W. Tyer, J. M. K, and others.— I. Q to QB3 is 

 answered by P to Kt6; and, if then 2. Kt to KG, K ta Q4. 



F. Dennis. — Besides giving point to the problem, the 

 KB is necessary in Mr Allen's December problem. At 

 any rate the composer had to stop any iininedi.ite check 

 at K7 with the Rook, and if he uses a Black Pawu for 

 that purpose, it must be pinned by a Bi-shop in view of 



