Jantasy, 1002.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



23 



planet seta three Lours in the rear of the sun, but has 

 a more northerly declination of about 10°. The planet 

 is at the stationary point on the 2i!nd, after which date 

 her motion will be retrograde or westerly. 



Mftrs is not well placed for observation, setting a little 

 more than an houi' after the sun. Towards the end of 

 the month the planet will appear in proximity to 

 Mercury, the two planets being in conjunction with each 

 other on the 23rd; Mercury being 25' to the south. 



Jupiter and Saturn are invisible, both being in con- 

 junction with the sun during the month, the latter on 

 the 9th, the foniier on the 15th. 



Uranus is only visible shortly before sunrise, and 

 being very low is not suitable for obsei-vation. 



Neptune continues to be favourably situated during 

 this month. He crosses the meridian at 11.13 p.m. on 

 the 1st. and at 9.2 p.m. on the 31st. The planet is in 

 the most westerly part' of Gemini, but its retrograde 

 motion brings it into Taurus at the close of the month. 

 The nearest brijjht stars are still ij and 1 Goiuinorum, a 

 continuation of the t^able given last month will enable 

 it to be picked up readily when the telescope has been 

 pointed to the two stars named above. 



On the night of the 9th the planet has the same right 

 ascension as 1 Geniiuorum, the telescope will therefore 

 only need depressing 1° to bring the planet into the 

 iield of view. 



The Stars. — The positions of the principal constellar 

 tions and stars about 9 p.m. at the middle of the month 

 are as follows : — 



Zenith . Perseus. Auriga (CapeUa). 

 South . Orion. Taurus, Pleiades, with Aries and 

 Cetus towards the south-west, and 

 Prncyon and Siriiis towai'ds the south- 

 east. 

 Leo (Regulus) and Cancer low down, whilst 



Gemini (Castor and I'uUui) is high up. 

 Pegasus, Andromeda, Pisces, with Cygnus in 

 north-west. 



North . Ursa Minor and Draco below Polaris, with 



Cassiopeia to the left, and Ursa Major 



to the right. 



Minima of Algol occur at convenient times on the 



5th at 11.29 P.M." on the 8th at 8.18 p.m., on the 28th 



at 10.1 P.M. and on tue 31st at 6.49 p.m. 



East 



West 



Cljcss (i^olttmn. 



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 December Problems. 

 (C. D. Locock.) 

 No. 1. 

 Key-move. — 1. B to B2. 

 If 1. ... K to Q4, 2. R to B.5ch, etc. 

 1. ... Kt to B2, 2. B to K4, etc. 

 1. . . . Kt to Kt-Sch, 2. KtxKt, etc. 



No. 2. 

 Key-move. — 1. Kt to B2. 

 If 1. ... P to R7, 2. R to R4ch, etc. 

 1. . . . PtoKtS, 2. KtxRP, etc. 

 [Not 2. R X QKtP as given by two or three solvers.] 

 1. . . . K to R3, 2. R to R4ch, etc. 



[A second solution by Kt to R6 was intentionally left, 

 in the hope that it would limit the number of "ties" in 

 the solution tourney. The expectation has been realised, 

 the play iu the second solution having sufficient merit to 

 cause it to be mistaken for the author's intention. As a 

 matttn- of fact, considerably more solvers have sent Kt to 

 R6 than Kt to B2. The " cook " could presumably have 

 been stopped bv the ad<lition of a White Pawn at QR6 

 and a Black Pawn at QR2.] 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 J. Baddelev (b), H. Le Jeune (G), G. Groom (.5), F. J, 

 Lea (.5), S. G. Luckock (t!), W. de P. Crousaz (6), C. C. 

 Massey (5). G. W. (6), Alpha (6), G. W. Middleton (7), 

 W. Nash ((5), W. H. Boyes (6), C. Johnston (7), A. C. 

 Challenger (G), W. Jay (7), Major Nangle (6), Vivien H. 

 Maemeikan (G), F. Dennis (6), J. E. Broadbent (7). 



Of No. 2 only, from G. A. Forde, Capt. (3), W. H. S. M. 

 (3), A. E. Whitehouse (3). W. V. M. Popham (3). 



O. Groom.— Kt to R2 will not solve No. 2. 



W. V. M. Popham.— YowY solution to No. 1 (November) 

 was received too late to acknowledge. In No. 1 (Decem- 

 ber), 1. B to Kt3 is met only by 1. ... K to Q4, and if 

 then 2. Kt to Q2ch, K x Kt! 



W. R. S. M.—K to Q8 would bo all ritjht but for 

 1. . . . K to Qt. 



W. de P. Cromaz.— l regret to find that you were 

 previously credited with one point too much. 



J. Baddeley. — Knowledge appears to have reacted you 

 two or thi-ee days late. 



A. m. Whitehouge. — Please see answer to W. Y. M. P. 

 Verv glad that you and others have continued to the end in 

 spite of adversity. 



PROBLEMS. 



No. 1 

 By S. G. Luckock. 





m. 



m i%m 





White (11). 



Wliite mates in two moves. 



