Septexibeb, 1901.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



215 



till' two comots mailo a vorv ('lo?e apjiroaoli to cai-li oilier in Jammry, 

 1S81. 



The Ji'LY XIetbobs. — The mouth was not altoj;cthor favoiirahle 

 for observation, ttMnporature being unusnaUv high aei'onipauied with 

 couiiilerable niisK At Bristol the writer maintained a wateh on seven 

 nights, between the 15th and 24th iuelnsive, and saw 93 shooting stnrs 

 in 14} hours of observation. The first eertain indiealions of llie 

 great ferseid shower were notioed on the night of July 2l«t, when 

 five meteors, of the usual r-.i|nd, streaky, iudleated a radiant at about 

 23" + 52". But the most interesting as well svs the most active display 

 of the period was from a jioint at 290' + 24' near BCyfui, wliieii 

 furnished some slow-moving trained meteors of a yellow colour. 

 There was also well marked radiation Iron) other points, and par- 

 ticularly from Caprieornus, Delphiuus, Cvgnvis, .\udromeda, and 

 Trianguliun, but the meteors registeivd intimated a large number of 

 feeble radiants rather than the special activity of a few. The most 

 p'roduetive nights were July 20tli aud 2lst, when uu'toors were fairly 

 numerous, but on Jidy 15th. Kith, 18th, Ultli and 24th they were 

 decidedly scarce, though the sky was favourable. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR SEPTEMBER. 



Bj A. FOWLEE, F.R.A.S. 



The Sun.— On the 1st the sun rises at 5.15, and 

 sets at 6.45; on the 30th he rises at (J.l, and sets 

 at 5.39. The sun enters Libra, and Autumn commences 

 at 6 P.M. on the ^Srd. 



The Mooy. — The moon will enter last quarter on the 

 •">th at 1.27 P.M., will be new on the 12th at 9.19 p.m., 

 will enter first quarter on the 21st at 1.33 a.m.. and will 

 be full on the 28th at 5.36 a.m. The most notable 

 occultation during the month is that of s Tauri, mag. 37, 

 which takes place on the morninp: of the 5th ; disappear- 

 ance at •i.2 A.M. at 123 from the north point (146^ from 

 the vertex) ; re-appearance at 4.58 a.m. at 22 1 from the 

 north point (230' from the vertex). 



The Planets. — Mercury is an evening star throughout 

 the month, but unfavourably placed for observation in 

 northern latitudes. 



Venus is also an evening star, but still unfavourably 

 situated for naked-eye observations. Throughout the 

 month the planet sets about an hour after the sun. On 

 the 15th the apparent diameter is 13"G, and the illuminated 

 part of the disc 0"795. 



Mars remains an evening star, setting about 8.12 p.m. 

 on the 1st, and about 7 p.m. on the 30th. The ])ath is 

 from the south-eastern part of Virgo into Lil)ra. On the 

 21st the planet passes about a degree to the south of 

 a Librae. The apparent diameter diminishes from 5"'0 to 

 4"'6 during the mouth. 



Jupiter may still be observed in the evening; on the 

 1st he crosses the meridian at 7.33 p.m. and sets at 

 11.21 p.m., while on the 30th he crosses the meridian at 

 5.45 P.M. and sets at 9.33 p.m. During the month the 

 polar diameter diminishes from 39"0 to 35"C. The move- 

 ment of the planet is easterly, through the western part 

 of Sagittarius ; in quadrature on the 28th. The principal 

 satellite phenomena are as follows : — 



1st.— I. Ec. R. ... 8'24-2 13th.— If. Tr. I. ... 8 54 



2nd.— III. Oe. R. ... 7 46 15th.— I. Oc. D. ... 8 42 



III. Ec. D. ... 9 34-9 1 II. Ec. R. ... 8 4.31 



3rd.— IT. Sh. I. ... 9 2i I 16th.— I. Sh. I. ... 7 10 



6th.— II. Sh. I. ... 8 54 I I. Tr. E. ... 8 10 



II. Tr. E. ... 9 12 I. Sh. E. ... 9 28 



7th.— I. Tr. I. ... 9 31 ; 20th.-III. Sh. I. ... 7 20 



I. Sh. I. ... 10 45 ■ 23rd.— I. Tr. I. ... 7 47 



Stlu- I. Oc. D. ... 6 49 I. Sh. I. ... 9 5 



I. Ec. E. ... 10 19-2 24th.— I. Ec. R. ... 8 38 



9th.— I. Sh. E. ... 7 33 27th.— III. Tr. I. ... 6 5 



III. Oc. I). ... 8 27 in. Tr. E. ... 9 13 

 11th.— IV. Oc. IJ. ... 6 58 29th.— II. Oc. D. ... 8 29 



IV. Oc. R. ... 9 28 i 



Saturn remains a few degrees to the east of Juj)iter, 

 setting on the 1st at 11.55 p.m., and on the 30th at 10.1 



P.M. The planet has a slow westerly movement until the 

 ]4th, when it is stationary, and an easterly movement 

 during the remainder of the mouth. On the 15th the major 

 and minor axes of the outer ring are respectively 39"'8 

 and 17'''2, while the polar diameter of the ball is 15"*8. 

 The northern surface of the ring system is jiresented 

 towards the earth. 



Uranus is in the soutlicrly ]iart of Ophiuchus, 

 and may therefore be observed i:i the western sky for a 

 short time after stinset. On the 1st the planet .sets about 

 10 P.M., and on the 3l)th about 8.8 p.m. During the 

 nionth the jilanet describes a short easterly path nearly 

 midway lietweeu Aiitares and i) OphiiK-hi. The planet is 

 in (piadratiire on the (!tli. 



Neptune is again coming into position for evening 

 ob.servations, the ])lanet rising about 10.30 p.m. at the 

 middli' of the month, and being in quadrature on the 25th. 

 During the mouth a short easterly path is described in 

 the western part of Gemini. On the 14th, the |j]anet is 

 3 minutes preceding and 15' 20" south of i) Geminorum. 



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

 month, Auriga and Perseus will be in the north-east ; 

 Taurus low down a little north of east ; Aries, Andromeda, 

 and Cassiopeia towards the east ; Pisces a little soutli of 

 east ; Cetus low down and extending from east to soutli- 

 east; Pegasus south-east; Aquarius and Caiiricornus 

 nearly south; Cygnus :\linost overhead; Aijuila and Lyra 

 nearly .south-west ; Hercules in the west ; Corona and 

 Bootes to the north of west ; and Ursa Major nearly due 

 north. 



Minima of Algol occur on the 1st at 7.36 p.m., and 

 on the 2lst at 9.18 p.m. 



Cljcss Column. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



♦ 



Communicationg for this column should be addressed 

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

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of Augu.st Problems. 



No. 1. 



(W. S. Branch.) 



1. Q to 113, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 



(W. Clugston.) 



1. R to Kt 5, and mates next move. 



No. 3. 

 (W. H. Gundry.) 



1. Q to QB8, and mates next move. 



[There is unfortunately an alternative method bv 

 1. Kt to QCch.] 



Correct Solutions of the three problems have been 

 received from J. Baddelev ('>), H. Le Jeune (0).- G. 

 Groom (7), F. J. Lea, (6), "G. A. Forde, Capt. (7), S. G. 

 Luckock (6), W. de P. Crousaz (7). W. H. S. M. (7), 

 C. C. Massey (G), Eugene Henry (0), G. W. (7), Alpha (6). 

 G. W. Middleton (7), W. Nash (7), A. C. Challenger (7), 

 W. Jay (7), Vivienne H. Macmeikan (6), F. V. Louis (7), 

 C.Johnston (7), F. Dennis (7), J. E. Broadbent (7). 



A E. Whitehouse has solved Nos. 2 and 3 correctly, 

 W. H. Boyes Nos. 1 and 2. C F. P. scores 4 points for 

 the three problems, 2 being deducted for incorrect claims. 



/. T. Blnkemore. — No solutions received from you this 

 month. Did you post them ? 



