Septehber, 1902.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



215 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR SEPTEMBER 



By W. Shackleton, f.b.a.s. 



The Sun. — On the 1st the sun rises at 5.12 a.m., and 

 sets at 6A7 p.m. On the 30th he rises at 5.59 a.m., and 

 sets at 5.41 p.m. 



The equinox occurs on the 23rd, when the sun euti-rs 

 the nigii of fjibra, and Autumn commences. 



The first and second ihiys of the month are good days 

 for employing tlie sun to get a meridian line or other similar 

 purposes, for then the equation of time is negligible, the 

 sun being with the clock. 



rhe Zodiacal Light may be looked for in the west after 

 sunset. 



Sunspots are very scarce. 



The Moon : — 



The Moon is in apogee on the 10th and in perigee on 

 the 23rd. 



Occultations. — On the 22ud of the month the double 

 star 8 Tauri suffers oecultation, whilst on the 13th there 

 is a near approach to j3 Capricorni. The particulars are 

 as follows : — 



The Planets. — Mercury is in Virgo, but sets very 

 shortly after the sun. 



Venus is in Leo, and is still a very bright object in the 

 early dawn. She rises about two hours in advance of the 

 sun. On the 11th and 12th she is near the star Regulus, 

 whilst on the morning of the 30th she is near the moon. 



ALars is a morning star in Cancer, rising about 1 a.m. 

 The apparent diameter is increasing, being now about 4"'5, 

 whilst 095 of his disc is illuminated. 



Jupiter is a most brilliant object, and on looking south- 

 wards, not very high up, his magnificence immediately 

 catches the eye. The planet is on the meridian about 

 9 P.M. at the middle of the month, and he sets shortly 

 after 1 a.m.; his apparent diameter is now about 43". On 

 the evening of the 14th he is a little to the east of the 

 moon. 



Observing at 9.30 p.m. on the 6th, 7lh, 12th, 19th, 

 three satellites only will be visible, the other being in 

 transit, whilst at the same time on the 4th, 15th, 16th, 

 20th, i+th and 27th one .satellite will be in eclipse. On 

 the •23rd, at 9.30 p.m., satellites I. and III. only will be 

 visible, for satellite IV. is in transit and satellite II. is 

 eclipsed. 



Saturn is to the westward of Jupiter, and souths about 

 8 p.m. He forms a very conspicuous object in the sky, 

 not very high up, and shines with a slight reddish tinge. 

 The planet is near the moon on the 12th, and at the 

 stationary point on the 26th. The ring is now widely 



open, and we are looking down on the northern surface of 

 it. The following are some of the elements for the ring 

 for Se|itember 17th : — • 



Outer major axis, 40"-57. 



Outer minor axis, 16"15. 



Elevation of the earth above ring plane, 23° 28'. 

 Uranus is in Ojihiuchus, but sets before midnight. Ho 

 is therefore not well placed for observation on account of 

 his great southern declination. The planet is in quadra- 

 ture with the sun on the 11th. 



Neptune is visible rather late on in the evening. He is 

 in Gemini, near the stars /x and ij Gemiuorum, and rises 

 about 10.30 P.M. His diameter is about 2", and he shines 

 with only the brightness of an 8th magnitude star. 



The Stars. — .A.t the beginning of the month, at 9 p.m., 

 the following constellations are to be observed : — 

 Zenith Lyra, Cygnus. 



Sooth . Aquila, Delphinus, Aquarius, Capricornus, 

 Sagittarius ; Serpeutis, Ophiuchus, and 

 Scorpio, to the S.W. 

 Andromeda, Pegasus, Pisces, and Aries ; 



Pleiades on horizon. 

 Hercules, Corona, Bootes. 

 Ursa Major, Ursa Minor ; N.E., Cassiopeia 

 and Perseus ; Auriga (Capella) on horizon. 

 Minima of Algol will occur on the 3rd at 8.0 p.m., 21st 

 it 12.52 a.m., and the 23rd at 9.41 p.m. 



East 



West 



NOKTH 



Cljcss Column. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

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

 by the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of August Problems. 



No. 10. 



Key-move. —1. Kt to Q4. 



No. 11. 

 The Composer's intention was 1. Q to QB8, but W. Jay 

 has discovered a second solution beginning 1. Q to K7ch, 

 followed by B to B8 or Q to Q6 accordingly. It is a pity 

 that the " much labour " was all in vain. 



No. 12. 



Key-move. — 1. Kt to B6. 



If 1. . . . K X Kt, 2. Q to Q3, etc. 



1. . . . BxP. 2. Q toRS, etc. 



1. . . . BxKi, 2. Q toQB3, etc. 



1. ... B to Kt2, 2. Q to QKt3ch, etc. 



Solutions received from W. Nash, 4, 4, 4 ; Alpha, 

 4, 0, 4 ; W. Jay, 4, 6, 4 ; G. Woodcock, 4, 0, 4 ; G. W. 

 Middleton, 4,4,4; C. Johnston, 4, 4, 0; "Looker-on," 

 4, 4, 4 ; J. W. Dawson, 4, 4, 4. " Tameu's " -solutions 

 were posted too late to score. 



Alpha. — In No. 2 you seem to have overlooked the reply 

 1. ... P to B7 (dis. ch.), in answer to 1. Kt to K3. 



