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KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[M.\K. 1905. 



The Face of the Sky for March. 



By \V. Shackleton, F.R.A.S. 



The Sun. — On the ist the Sun rises at 6.49, 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 a.m. on the 21st, when 

 Spring commences. 



.\n annular eclipse of the Sun takes place on the 6th ; 

 it is invisible in this country, but visible in .'Vustralia. 



The solar disc has been well marked with large sun- 

 spots, whilst prominences have been large and active. 



For physical observations of the Sun the following 

 data may be used : — 



The Zodiacal light should be looked for in the west 

 for a few hours after sunset. 

 The Moon : — 



OccuLTATiONS. — The only bright stars occulted during 

 convenient hours are : — 



7 Tauri (mag. 3-9) at lo.ii p.m. on the 12th. 

 ^ Virginis (mag. 3-8) at 9.2 p.m. on the 20th. 



The Planets. — Mercury is in superior conjunction 

 with the Sun on the loth, after which he is an evening 

 star, setting about 7.30 p.m. on the 23rd ; he should be 

 looked for in the west towards the end of the month, as 

 he is approaching a favourable elongation. 



\'enus is the most conspicuous object in the evening 

 sky, being at greatest brilliancy on the 21st, when the 

 planet sets about 10.20 p.m. Throughout the month the 

 planet is well placed for observation, and is best scrutin- 

 ized before darkness sets in, as outstanding chromatic 

 aberration of the object glass is not so obtrusive. From 

 the point of ma.ximum brilliancy the planet appears to 

 move rapidly towards the Sun, inferior conjunction taking 

 place about a month later. About the middle of the 

 month the phase of the planet is crescent, 0-33 of the 

 disc being illuminated, the diameter lieing 35". On the 

 evening of the 9th, the Moon, Jupiter, and Venus all 

 appear in close proximity to each other. 



Mars is situated in Libra, and rises about 11.20 p.m. 

 near the middle of the month. 



Vesta the brightest of the minor planets, is in opposi- 

 tion to the sun on the 24th, when its magnitude is 6'3. 

 The asteroid is describing a retrograde path near the 

 star p Virginis. 



Jupiter is getting more to the west and is only avail- 

 able for observation for a few hours after sunset, also, 

 on account of increasing distance from the earth, his 

 lustre 13 diminishing and he is altogether outrivalled in 

 brilliancy by Venus, which appears in the same region 

 of the sky. 



At the beginning of the month the planet sets at 

 10 p.m., when the equatorial diameter is 35"'8, and on 



the 31st at 8.47 p.m., his apparent equatorial diameter 

 then being 34""0. 



The following table gives the satellite phenomena 

 visible in this country. 



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

 ' Oc. R." its re-appearance; "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. 



Saturn is a morning star, rising about 5.30 a.m. near 

 the middle of the month. 



Uranus also does not rise till early morning through- 

 out the month. 



Neptune is on the meridian about 7.45 p.m. on the ist, 

 and at 5.50 p.m. on the 31st ; he is in quadrature with 

 the Sun on the 26th. The planet is near m Geminorum, 

 and can readily be found by reference to that star. 



Right Ascension. Declination. 



Neptune (Mar. 15). 6^ 23™ 14^ . . N. 22° 21' 8" 



fj. Geminorum . . 6'' 17™ 13'' . . N. 22° 33' 38" 



Meteok Showers: — 



Minima of Algol occur on the i8th at 0.34 a.m., and 

 on the 20th at 9.23 a.m. 



Double Stars. — 7 Leonis, X.'' 14"% N. 20° 22', mags. 2, 

 4 ; separation 3"-8. In steady air, the prime requisite for 

 double star observations, this double may be well seen in 

 a3-in. telescope with an eyepiece magnifying about 30 to 

 the inch of aperture, but on most nights one with a 

 power of 40 is better. 



The brighter component is of a bright orange tint, 

 whilst the fainter is more yellow. 



t Leonis, .Xi."^ 19'", N. 11" 5', mags. 4^, 7A ; separa- 

 tion 2"-2. A pretty double of different coloured stars, 

 the brighter being yellow, the other blue. This object 

 requires a favourable night and a fairly high power on 

 small telescopes. 



a Leonis (Regiilus) has a small attendant about 180" 

 distant, magnitude 8-5, and easily seen in a 3-inch 

 telescope. 



a Canum Venat. (Cor Caroli), XI I.^ 52'", N. 38'^ 50', 

 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 Pra'sepe in Cancer, visible to 

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

 resolvable with a pair of opera or field glasses. On 

 account of the scattered nature of the group the cluster 

 effect is lost when observed with a telescope unless \ery 

 low powers be employed. Situated about midway and 

 a little to the west of the line joining " and S Cancri. 



