26o 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[October, 1905. 



The Face of the Sky for 

 October. 



By W. Shackleton, F.R.A.S. 

 The Son. — On the ist the Sun rises at 6.1 and sets at 

 5-39 ; on the 31st he rises at 6.53, and sets at 4.35. 



Sunspots are numerous, and recent spectroscopic 

 observations of the Sun's limb have shown many active 

 prominences. 



The position of the Sun's axis and equator, required 

 for physical observations of the Sun, is indicated in the 

 following table : — 



Date. 



Axis inclined from N. 

 point. 



Equator S. of 

 Centre of disc. 



37' 



6° 



6° 



5° 15' 



4° 18' 



Oct. 5 



Apogee 252,600 miles 

 Perigee 221. Soo 



30 p.m. 

 30 a.m. 



The Planets. — Mercury is a morning star during 

 the early part of the month, but the planet is not suitably 

 placed for observation, as he is in superior conjunction 

 with the Sun on the 12th. 



Venus is a morning star in Leo and Virgo, and 

 throughout the month rises about 3 hours in advance of 

 the Sun. On the morning of the 8th the planet will be in 

 conjunction with the star x Leonis, passing about 

 10' to the south of the star. In consequence of increas- 

 ing distance from the earth the lustre of the planet is 

 diminishing. 



Mars is a feeble object in the S.W. evening sky, set- 

 ting about 8.30 p.m. 



Jupiter is now well placed for observation before mid- 

 night and is the most conspicuous object in the sky 

 looking E. about 9 p.m., being situated in Taurus about 

 midway between the Pleiades and Aldebaran. The 

 equatorial diameter of the planet on the i6th is 47"-o 

 whilst the polar diameter is 3"-o less. The following 

 table gi%'es the satellite phenomena visible in this 

 country, before midnight: — 



■Oc. K. ;l. : 

 and "Tr. E 

 tha diw, tod 



appearance of the SatellUc behind the diic, and 

 Tr, I." the Ingrcu of a transit acro«> the disc, 

 I " the iniire** of a Uaoait of the ihadow acron 



Saturn is suitably placed for observation in the early 

 evening, being due south about 8. 20 p.m. near the middle 

 of the month. The planet is describing a short retro- 

 grade path in .Vquarius, but is at the stationary point on 

 the 31st; the moon appears near the planet on the 

 evening of the Sth. 



The ring is well open, and we are looking on the 

 northern surface at an angle of 11 J'; the polar diameter 

 of the ball is i6"'8, whilst the major and minor axes of 

 the outer ring are 42" and S"-4 respectively. 



Uranus is situated about 2° south of the star ^ Sagit- 

 tarii, the planet is on the meridian shortly after 4 p.m., 

 and sets about 8.15 p.m. near the middle of tlie month. 



Neptune rises about 9 p.m. on the 15th; and is due 

 south about 5 a.m. The planet is situated in Gemini, 

 is in quadrature with the Sun on the 4th, and at the 

 stationary point on the 14th. 



Meteors : — 



The principal shower of meteors during the month is 

 the Orionids. 



Minima of Algol may be observed on the ist at 

 8.52 p.m., 4th at 5.41 p.m., 21st at 10.35 P-m-. and 24th 

 at 7.24 p.m. 



Telescopic Objects : — 



Double Stars : — 7 Arietis i'' 48"", N. 18" 48', mags. 

 4-2, 4-4 ; separation 8"-8. Easy double, power 30 ; 

 notable as being the first double star observed tele- 

 scopically. 



7 Andromedae i*" 58™, N. 41° 51 ', mags. 2 i, 4-9, sepa- 

 ration io"'2. The brighter component is intensely 

 yellow, whilst the other is greenish blue. The fainter 

 star is remarkable for being a binary, the components of 

 which are now less than 1" apart. 



NebuL/E : — 



Nebula in Andromeda, easily visible to the naked eye, 

 and readily found by referring' to the stars /< and ■. .\ndro- 

 medre. Seen with a 3 or 4 inch telescope, it appears to 

 be an extended oval, which is in reality composed of 

 spiral streams of nebulous matter. 



(32 M.) Nebula close to the great Andromeda 

 nebula, and situated about 2'' to the south. It is fairly 

 round, and appears somewhat like a star out of focus. 



(18 1^) lies about the same distance north of the great 

 Andromeda nebula that 32 M does south ; it is faint, but 

 large and elliptical. 



" Knowledge " on Bookstalls. 



CoMi'LAl.Nis having reached the ollicc of the dilliculty 

 of obtaining " Knowledge " at certain provincial 

 shops and bfxtk-stalls, wc beg to say that the paper is 

 always published before the ist of each month and 

 should be on sale on that date. We cannot, of course, 

 be responsible for such delays, but when copies arc 

 ordered direct from the office they arc posted so as to 

 be delivered on the ist of the month. For rates vide 

 page vii. Under the new five-year rate, subscribers 

 get their copies post free for sd. 



