I40 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[June, 1905. 



The Fa^ce of the Sky 

 for June. 



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



The Sun. — On the ist the Sun rises at 3.52, and sets at 

 8.4 ; on the 30th he rises at 3.48, and sets at 8. 18. 



Summer commences on the 22nd, when the Sun enters 

 the sign of Cancer at 3 a.m. ; on this, the longest day, 

 he rises at 3.45 and sets at 8.18. 



The equation of time is only 6 seconds on the 14th and 

 15th, hence these are suitable dates for adjustmg sundials 

 by the clock, as correction for longitude need only be 

 applied. 



The solar cycle is approaching a maximum, and sun- 

 spots may be observed on any clear day, whilst spectro- 

 scopic observations of the Sun's limb have, of late, shown 

 many fine prominences. 



The position of the Sun's axis aud equator, required for 

 locating the spots, is as follows : — 



The Moon : — 



June 3 



Phases. 



# New Moon 

 ]) First Quarter 

 O Full Moon 

 d Last Quarter 



5 57 a.m. 



t 5 p.m. 



5 52 a.m. 



7 46 p.m. 



Jane 14 . . 

 .. 25 .. 



Perigee 227,500 miles. 

 Apogee 251,200 ,, 



I o a.m. 

 II 48 p.m. 



Occult ATiONS. — The only occultations occurring before 

 midnight are as follows : — 



Date. 



June 



Star's Name. 



1' Virginis 

 1* Virginis 

 20 Capricorn! 



Magni- 

 tode. 



61 

 49 

 5-5 



Disappear- 

 ance. 



Reappear- 

 ance. 



7.56 p.m. 8.41 p.m. 



8.22 p.m. 9.24 p.m. 



(Star below I 10.52 p.m. 

 horizon.) 



The Planets. — Mercury is a morning star during the 

 former part of the month, and is in superior conjunction 

 with the Sun on the 24th. Throughout the month the 

 planet is not well placed for observation. 



Venus is a conspicuous object in the early morning 

 sky, rising about 2 a.m. near the middle of the month. 

 The planet is at greatest brilliancy on the 2nd. 



Mars comes to the meridian at an altitude of 23' shortly 

 before 9 p.m. on the 15th, and is situated near the double 

 star o Libra; he is readily distinguished by his bright- 

 ness and ruddy colour. The diameter of the planet is 



16' ; t'ae disc as seen through the telescope appearing 

 slightly gibbous with dark markings in the southern 

 hemisphere. The northern hemisphere of the planet is 

 inclined towards the earth, but the snow cap is scarcely 

 discernible, as the season of this hemisphere on Mars 

 corresponds to our early September. The planet is at 

 the stationary point on the i8th, after which his motion 

 is direct or easterly ; on the evening of the 13th the Moon 

 is 6 N. of the planet. 



Jupiter is a morning star in Aries, rising at 2.0 a.m. on 

 the 19th. 



Saturn is a morning star in Aquarius, rising shortly 

 before midnight near the middle of the month. The 

 planet is stationary on the 14th. 



Uranus is in opposition to the Sun on the 24th, hence 

 about this date he is on the meridian near midnight, but, 

 on account of his great southerly declination, he only at- 

 tains a meridian altitude of 15 =. The planet is situated 

 about midway between the stars ix and x Sagittarii, and 

 although just perceptible to the naked eye, is readily 

 found with slight optical aid. 



Neptune is in conjunction with the Sun 011 the 30th, 

 and consequently is unobservable. 



Double Stars. — o Librae, XIV.'' 46™, S. 13° 39', mags. 

 3, 6 ; separation 230" ; very wide pair. 



/9 Scorpii, XVI.'' C", S. 19° 33', mags. 27, 5-2 ; separa- 

 tion 1 3"- 1. 



M 80 (Scorpio). A compact globular cluster half way 

 between " and p Scorpii ; looks like a nebula in small 

 telescopes. 



The 



International Ornithological 

 Congress. 



The fourth meeting of the International Ornithological 

 Conf^ress, under the Presidency of Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, 

 will take place in June at the Imperial Institnte, South 

 Kensington. H.K.H. the Prince of Wale?, K.G., has graciously 

 accepted the post of Patron. The General Committee 

 contains the names of many of the best- known ornithologists 

 throughout the world who are likely to be able to attend the 

 meeting. 



The first meeting of the Congress will be held on Monday, 

 June 12, at q p.m., when there will be an informal reception 

 at the Imperial Institute. A General Meeting will take place 

 next day at 10 a.m., and the five Sections (Systematic Orni- 

 thology, Migration, Biology, Economic Ornithology, and 

 Aviculture) will assemble at 3 p.m. on that day. The Sections 

 will meet again at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, 

 and in the evening of that day there will be a conversazione 

 at the Natural History Museum. Thursday, June 15, will 

 be devoted to an excursion to the Zoological Museum at 

 Tring, where the Members will be the guests of the Hon. 

 Walter Rothschild, M.P. On Friday, June 19, there will 

 be a General Meeting of the Congress at 10 a.m. In the 

 afternoon the Lord Mayor of London will receive the orni- 

 thologists at the Mansion House, and in the evening the 

 British Ornithologists' Union will entertain them at dinner. 

 On Saturday, June 17, the Sections will meet in the morning 

 (10 a.m.), and the concluding General Meeting w.ll take place 

 in the afternoon of the same day. 



