October, 1902.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



239 



Height lit beginning .. 59 miles over a point in lat. 474° ^p 



long, 91 ' W. 

 Height at cniliiig ... 27 miles over a point in lat. SOi" N., 



long. 4" E., near St. Omer, France. 

 Length of path ... 611 miles. 



Velocity ... ... 15J miles per second 



Radiant point ... 2S3° — lOi" low on W.S.W. horijon. 



The fireball traversed the whole length of the Knglisli Channel, 

 and in a direction from \V S.W. to E.X.E , nearly parallel with the 

 south coast of Kngland. The observed ])ath was abnormally long. 

 The velocity is obtained by adopting 40 seconds as the whole duration. 

 The observations furnish some contradictions, and it seems impossible 

 to deduce anv very exact results from them. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR OCTOBER. 



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



Thr Sun. — On the 1st the sun rises at 0.1 and sets 

 at 5.39 ; on the 31st he rises at (i5'2 and si'ts at 4.35. 



The sun rises partially eclijised on the 3 1st, the eclipse 

 ending at 7.1, oulv nine minutes after sunrise. 



The Moon : — 



The moon is in apogee on the 8th, and in perigee on 

 the 20th. 



An eclipse of the moon takes place on the morning of 

 the 17th. the earlier phases of which are visible from this 

 country, but the moon sets at Greenwich at 6.32 a.m., 

 totally eclipsed. lu America, however, the whole phe- 

 nomenon will be observable. 



Further particulars of the eclipse, and a diagram 

 showing the path of the moon through the shadow, are 

 given in another column. 



Occultations : — 



The Planets. — Mercury is too near the sun for 

 observation at the beginning of the month, being in 

 inferior conjunction on the 19th. During the last week 

 of the month, however, he is fairly well placed, rising 

 about H hours in advance of the sun. He is near Spica 

 on the 22nd, and Venus on the 23rd. 



Venus is a morning star in Virgo, and rises about an 

 hour before the sun. She is near Spica Virginia on the 

 24th. About the middle of the month 098 of her disc is 

 illuminated. 



Mars is a morning star in Leo, rising about 1 a.m. He 

 is near the star Regulus on the 21st. His apparent 

 diameter is increasing, being about 5"0, whilst 0'93 of 

 his disc is illuminated. 



Jupiter is the most conspicuous object in the evening 

 sky, and is so bright that it can be discerned long before 

 it is dark. Near the middle of the mouth the planet is 

 on the meridian about 7 p.m., and sets at 11.30 p.m. ; his 



apparent diameter is decreasing, being now about 39". 

 The retrograde movement of the ])lanet ends on the 4th, 

 when he is stationary, after which his motion will be 

 direct or easterly. On the evening of the 11th he will be 

 near the moon. The more interesting phenomena of the 

 satellites which may be observed are as follows : — 



Saturn is about 16 degrees west of Jupiter, and souths 

 at the middle of the month at 6 p.m., setting at 10 p.m. 

 The planet is in quadrature with the sun on the 15th. 

 On the 7th the apparent outer major and minor axis of the 

 ring are 39"27 and 15"64 respectively, while the polar 

 diameter of the ball is 15"'6. The ring is widely open. 



Uranus is too near the sun for obsei-vation. 



Neptune mav be observed before midnight throughout 

 the month, rising on the 1st about 9.30 p.m., and on the 

 31st about 7.30 p.m. The planet is near to fA Geminorum, 

 and should appear in the same field of view as the star 

 throughout the month, if observed with a low power eye- 

 piece. Their positions are as follows : — 



R. A. Declination. 



Neptune (Oct. 8th) 6h. 16m. 6s. N. 22° 16' 27". 

 /x Geminoruin 6h. 17m. 5s. N. 22° 33' 42". 



The Stabs. — .\bout 9 p.m. at the middle of the month, 

 the following constellations may be observed : — 

 Zenith . Cygnus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia. 



Pegasus, Aquarius, Capricornus, Fonialhant. 

 Lyra, Hercules, Ophiuchus, Corona; Bootes 



"to the N.W. ; Aquila to the S.W. 

 Andromeda, Aries, Perseus, Pleiades ; Aurigae 



to the N.E. ; Cetus to the S.E. 

 Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco. 



South 



West 



East 



North 



€i)css 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. 



If 1. 

 1. 

 1. 

 1. 



1. 



Solutions of September Problems. 

 No. 13. 

 Key-move. —1. Kt to KKt 5. 

 . . . P to Kt6, etc., 2. Q to B2, etc. 



. . B to B3. 

 . . Kt to B6, 

 . . K to Q3, 

 . . K to Q5. 



2. Q to Kt3ch, etc. 

 2. Kt to B7ch, etc. 

 2. Q to BBch, etc. 

 2. Kt to K6ch, etc. 



[More than <me solver has been deceived by the '■ try," 

 1. Kt to B5. The only defence is Kt to B8. There is a 

 dual after 1. . . . K to Q3, by 2. Q to K3.] 



