May, 1901. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



110 



over the English Chuuiiel, disappearing 5 miles S.K. of Portlaml 

 Bill. Path about 54 miles and velocity about 8 miles per second, 

 according to .Mr. Johnson's estimate of the duration. The tireball 

 of 1866. Jan. 1 1, liad a radiant at loS'' — S*", and probably belonged 

 to the s«me stream of A llydriils as that of the recent meteor ; but 

 there seems to have been a wide difference in their velocities, for 

 that of the former object was computed by Prof. Herschel as 46 

 miles \vr second. 



FiRKB.vLL OK J.vNV.vRY 28.— At about 9h. 22m. Mr. Robert 

 Service, at Dumfries, noticed the Hash of a fine meteor quite as 

 bright as the half-moon, and perhaps a third less in apparent 

 magnitude. In colour it shone precisely like an unshaded electric 

 light, and took about IJ seconds to pass from about 330° + 80° to 

 300" + ."11". It went out suddenly with an explosion, showing red 

 and blue sparks. Just three minutes later he heard " with great 

 distinctness in the perfectly still air a sort of double detonation 

 from the direction of low down in the N.X.W. . followed by a 

 short thundery rumble, but something in the sound was altogether 

 unhke distant thunder." The meteor was observed by Mr. T. W. 

 Backhouse at Sunderland, who noted the time as 9h. ISni., and 

 describes the object as being one of the most magnificent he had 

 ever seen. It disappeared fi-om view at 342" + 284°, then passing 

 behind a house. Its (light of about 15" was directed from the point 

 101" + 54°. The metoor exhibited a variety of colours, the chief 

 being orange towards the last, and then for the last 3" or 4° sea- 

 green, at last a very \-ivid green ; while the bright sparkling 

 tapering train of 4" or 5° was orange. It was also seen by several 

 persons at Kdinburgb. The i-ailiant was at about lOG" + 52'^' in 

 the Lynx, and the meteor descended from 76 to 16 miles above 

 I>anark to Strathaven. Path about 61 miles, and velocity 18 miles 

 per second. This brilliant object was directed from the Lvncid 

 radiant, O.C. Xo. LXXXIV., 103.4° + 50.8°, which seems to be 

 visible during the greater part of the year. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR MAY, 



By A. FOWLEE, F.R.A.8. 



The Sun.— Ou the 1st the sun rises at 4.34, and 

 sets at 7.20 ; on the 31st he rises at 3.52, and sets 

 at 8.2. There will be a total eclipse on the I8th, but 

 it will not be visible in this conutrv even as a partial oue ; 

 the belt of totality extends from Mauritius, through 

 Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, and New Grviinea. Authorities 

 now consider that the minimum of sunsfjots has probal>lv 

 been reached. 



The Mooy. — The moon will be full on the 3rd at 

 6.19 P.M., will enter last quarter on the 11th at 2,38 p.m., 

 will be new on the 18th at 5.38 a.m., and will enter first 

 quarter on the 25th at 5.40 a.m. The following are thf 

 principal occultations during the month : — 



1 



:-i 



There will be a peuumbral eclipse of the moon, partly 

 visible at Greenwich, on the evening of the 3rd. Tlie 

 first contact with the penumbra is at 4h. 6'3m,, the middle 

 of eclipse at Wh. SOvm., and the last contact with the 

 penumbra at 8h. 551m. At Greenwich the moon rises 

 at "h. 28m. 



The Planets. — Mercury is in superior conjunction 

 with the sun on the 14th, and will afterwards be an 

 evening star, but too near the sun for easy observation. 



Venus is in superior conjunction with the sim ou the 

 1st. and may therefore be considered not observable. 



Mars remains in Leo, and will be in quadrature on the 

 20th. On the 1st he sets about 2.40 a.m., and on the 31st 

 about 12.56 a.m. During the month his apparent 

 diameter ranges from 9"-0 to 7"'2, On the 15th the 

 illuminated jjart of the disc will be 0'895. 



Jupiter is still in Sagittarius, rising on the Isl about 

 12.22 A.M., and on tlie 31st about 10.27 p.m. His path is a 

 westerly one. a little to the south of ^- Sagittarii. Tlic 

 apparent diameter on the 15th is 40"'4. 



Saturn is also in Sagittarius, rising ou the 1st about 

 12.35 A.M., and on the lilst about 10.34 p.m. On the 5th 

 he will be 3^ 18' to the east of .Jupiter. The apparent 

 diameter of the planet on the 25th will be 16 ''G, and the 

 major and minor axes of the outer ring respectively 41" '5 

 and 17"'l ; the ring is thus widely open, and the nnrthorn 

 surface is presented to us, 



Cranus is in the most southerly part of Ophiudius, 

 to the west of ^ and 9, making a nearly equilateial 

 triangle with those two stars. He rises on the 1st about 

 10,30 p.m., and on the 31st about 8.27 p.m. 



Nepttiue can now only be oliscrved for a short time in 

 the early evening, as he sets about 11.17 p.m. on the 1st, 

 and ablaut 9.22 p.m. on the 31st. He remains in Taurus, 

 nearly midway between 132 Tauri and ;^' Oriouis. 



The Staks. — About 10 p.m., at the middle of the month, 

 Ursa Major will be nearly overhead : Cygnus in the north- 

 east ; Vega pretty high up in the east ; Arcturus a little 

 east of south ; Scorpio rising in the south-east ; Spica 

 Virginis in the south ; Leo in the south-west ; and Gemini 

 a little north of west. 



Cljrss (Column. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



•* 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

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

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of April Problems. 



(P. G. L. F.) 



No. 1. 



1. Q (<> lt(i, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 



Ki'ij-morc. — 1. B to K8. 



If 1 ... B moves, 2. B to K3ch, etc. 



1. . . Kt toB4, 2. KtxKtPch, etc. 



1. . . KtxP, 2. Kt to K2ch, etc. 



]. . . P to Kt4, 2. R to B5ch, etc. 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 J. Baddelev, S. G. Luckcock, C. C. Massey, W. H. S. M., 

 A. H. Mac'hell Cox, Endirby, A. C. Challenger, W. de P. 

 Cronsaz, W. Nash, A. .7. Head, G. A. Forde (Capt.), 

 Alpha, G. W. Middleton, H. Le Jeune, F. J. Lea, F. A. 

 Wilcock, .1. T. Blakemore, G. Groom, H. Boyes, .T. S:)wden, 

 W. Jay, J. M. K., G. W., Vivien H. Macmeikan, C. C. 

 Pennington, A. E. Whitehouse, C. .Johnston, Eugene 

 Henrv, J. E. Broadbent, J. A. Nicholson, E. Hunt, F. 

 Dennis, C. Child, C. F. P. 



Of No. 1 only from S. Jackson. A. Dod, H. W. Elcum, 

 W. Clugston. The two former give 1. B to Q7 for No. 2 ; 

 this appears to be met by 1. . . Kt to B4. 



Mr. Elcum claims a solution in two moves by 1. B x Kt. 

 Black, however, can pin the Knight by 1. . . li to Bsq. 



>S'. W. Billiiujs. — The Cheltenham post-mark on your 

 card is unfortunately 10.45 a.m., April lltli. Vour 

 solutions, though correct, cannot therefore count in the 

 competition. 



Col. Bell. — Many thanks for the information, of which, 

 as you will see below, I have availed myself. 



