Dkckmbkr, 1901.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



287 



along bv wiml curroats. Tlie wriU-r, at Uristol, has ohsorved alioiit a 

 dozen gvvnl oiainjiles of tliose ilaytiini" showers, iiud thev on-iir prettv 

 frequcntlv, though often I'liuling observation. Tliev are formed by 

 buoyant seeds, thistledown, snow or gossamer webs, and cannot be 

 mistaken for " teleseopie " metoiirs by anyone who carefully not<'s all 

 the details of such apjisiritions. Their directions are not paniUcl 

 acro-'s the field, the flights of certain particles being greatly inclined 

 to others. The velocities are different in individual cases, some of 

 them halt in mid-field, and ihei\ suddenly run on again at a different 

 angle. They are objects of irregular form, requiring a focus as for a 

 not very distant teri-estrial object. They cross the (ield in the same 

 general direction as the wind prevailing at the time. Occasionally 

 the showers last for several days, and a change of wind brings about 

 a corresponding variation in their directions. In fact the whole, 

 aspect and behaviour of the particles most obviously indicate their 

 terrestrial nature, and prove them to be irregularly shaped sunlit 

 objects, drifting along on the wind, and inducnced by all its vagaries. 

 The writer liojies during the ensuing year to make a daily search for 

 these daylight showers with a view to ascertain their frequency, and i 

 the particular natun- of the objects composing them. 



FlBBBALL OF OcTOBKH 11.— Mr. Alex. Foote, writing from St 

 Andrews, Fife, says that at H.'M p.m., lie observed a fireball of great 

 »ize, length and brilliancy in the mirthern sky. It was directed from 

 near Capella. and disappeared among the stars of the Lynx. The 

 colour was intense white with a tinge of blue. The meteor moved 

 very slowly, and made a ilistinct fizzing noise, but tlierc was no 

 explosion. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR DECEMBER. 



By A. Fowler, f.e..\..«. 



The Sun. — On the 1st the sun rises at 7.4C>, and sets 

 at 3.53; on the 31s( he rises at 8.8, and sets at 3.-')7. 

 ^Vinter comiiiences at I p.m. on tho 22nd, when the sun 

 enters Capricomns. 



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

 2nd at 9.50 p.m., will be new on the 11th at 2.53 a.m., 

 will enter first quarter on the 18th at 8.35 p.m., and will 

 be fuU on the 25th at 12.10! p.m. The more interesting 

 oceultations visible at Greenwich are indieated in the 

 following table: — 



Neptune is verv favourably situated during this month, 

 being in oppositiou on the 22nd. He i rosses the meridian 

 at 1.2(j A.M. on the 1st, and at 11.21 p.m. on the 31st. 

 The motion of the planet is retrograde, or westerly, in tlie 

 most westerly part of Gemini. Tlie nearest bright stars 

 are i; and 1 Geminorum, the relative positions being 

 indicated by the following table : — 



' star l:>elow horizon. 



" It will be seen that three stars brighter than fifth 

 magnitude will be occulted at very convenient hours of 

 the evening during the month. 



The Planets. — Mercury is a moming star throughout 

 the month, but after the first few days will be difficult to 

 recognise with the naked eye. 



Venus remains an evening star, and reaches her greatest 

 easterly elongation of 47° 15' on the oth ; at this time the 

 planet sets at 7.14 p.m., or more than three hours after 

 the sun. On the 31st she sets at 7.55 p.m. The apparent 

 diameter increases from 24" at the beginning of the month 

 to 35" at the end. 



Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus are too nearly in line 

 with the sun tor observation, Uranus being in actual 

 conjunction on the 9th. On the 15th the heliocentric 

 longitudes of the earth and the.se four planets are respec- 

 tively 83, 303, 292, 288, and 257 degrees, from which 

 it will be obvious that the pdanets are almost in line with 

 the sun, and on the further side of it as seen from the 

 earth. 



Observers who are not provided with equatorials will 

 find it easiest to identify the planet when it is near the 

 meridian ; under these cireutnstances the telescope shoidd 

 be first directed to 1 Gemiiuirum, and left at rest for an 

 interval of time equal to the difl'erence in right ascensions 

 of the star and planet, and then it should be dejiressed by 

 an amount equal to tho difference of di'cliiiatioiis, 

 estimating this from the jireviously (leterniiiu'd dianieter 

 of the field of view. 



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

 Cancer, Gemitii, and Caiiis Minor will be towards the east ; 

 Auriga high up towards the east ; Taurus and Orion 

 towards the south-east ; Perseus and Cassiojieia iiearlv 

 overhead; Aries and the head of Cetus in the south; 

 Andromeda high up towards the south-west ; Pegasus 

 nearly due west ; Cygnus and Lyra in the north-west ; 

 and Ursa Major a little east of north. 



Minima of Algol occur on the 16th at 9.47 p.m.; and 

 on the 19th at t;.3(i p.m. 



<SA)t%% Column. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column Bhould be addressed 

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

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of November Problems. 



No. 1. 



(By W. Clugaton.) 



1. Kt to Q6, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 



(By D. L. Anderson.) 



Key-move. — 1. Q to B5. 



If 1. . . . PxQ, 2. BxBch. 



1. . . . Q toR4, 2. PtoB5ch. 

 1. ... P to B4, 2. Q to Q5 mate. 



[After many of Black's first moves. White has a choice 

 of continuing" liy 2. P to B5ch, or 2. Q to K5ch, or 

 2. BxB. 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 W. Nash, J. Baddeley (both of whom point out that in 

 Mr. Laws' October problem there was a mate on the move 

 after 1. ... P to Q4), C. C. Massey, W. Jay, G. Groom, 

 W. de P. Crousaz, S. G. Luckock, Alpha, G. W., G. W. 

 Middleton, W. H. S. M., H. Le Jeune, A. C. Challenger, 



