August 2, 1897. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



199 



desert, but what more grateful than the sight of fresh 

 green meadows ! In contact with the grass light is 

 purified from rays which fatigue and injure our eyes. 

 This tempering of the sunshine is another of the many 

 benefactions we owe to the ministry of leaves. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR AUGUST. 



By Herbert Sadler, F.E.A.S. 



CONVENIENTLY observable minima of Algol occur 

 at Oh. 36m. a.m. on the 18th, and 9h. 25m. p.m. on 

 the 21st. 

 Mercury is too near the Sun to be conveniently 

 observed during August. 



Venus, as a morning star, is very well situated for 

 observation. She rises on the 1st at Ih. a.m., or three 

 and a half hours before the Sun, with a northern 

 declination at noon of 20^ 52', and an apparent diameter 

 of 18^", about |*„\Tths of the disc being illuminated- On 

 the 9th she rises at Ih. 3m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 21° 19', and an apparent diameter of 17i". 

 On the 19th she rises at Ih. 13m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 2P 18', and an apparent diameter of 16^", 

 about i%"oths of the disc being illuminated. On the 31st 

 she rises at about lb. 30m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 19^ -10', and an apparent diameter of 15". 

 During August she describes a direct path through the 

 whole of Gemini, on the borders of which constellation 

 and Cancer she is placed at the end of the month. 



Both Mars and Jupiter are invisible, being too near the 

 Sun to be observed to any advantage by the amateur. 



Saturn is an evening star, but should be looked for as 

 soon after sunset as possible ; besides, his low declination 

 interferes with the accurate observation of delicate details. 

 On the 1st he sets at about lib. 20m. p.m., with a 

 southern declination of 16*^ 19', and an apparent equatorial 

 diameter of 17 " (the major axis of the ring system being 

 40" in diameter, and the minor 10 '). On the 10th he 

 sets at lOh. IGm. p.m., with a southern declination of 

 16° 54', and an apparent equatorial diameter of 16V'. 

 On the 20th he sets at lOh. 8m. p.m., with a southern 

 declination of 17° 1', and an apparent equatorial diameter 

 of 16j". On the 31st he sets at 9h. 25m. p.m., or nearly 

 two and three-quarter hours after the Sun, with a southern 

 declination of 17° 10', and an apparent equatorial diameter 

 of 16^". He is in quadrature with the Sun on the 17th. 

 During August Saturn describes a short direct path in 

 Libra. 



Uranus is also an evening star, but, owing to his great 

 southern decUuation, must be looked for as soon as possible 

 after sunset to be caught at all. On the 1st he sets at 

 llh. 10m. P.M., with a southern declination of 18° 55', and 

 an apparent diameter of 3-6''. On the 31st he sets at 

 9h. 15m. P.M., with a southern declination of 18° 55'. He 

 is stationary in Libra on the 3rd, and afterwards describes 

 a very short direct path in that constellation. 



Neptune does not rise until nearly llh. p.m. at the end 

 of the month, and we therefore defer an ephemeris of him 

 until September. 



This month is one of the most favourable ones in which 

 to observe shooting stars. Tlie most noted shower is that 

 of the Permidre, with a radiant point at the maximum 

 display on the 10th in E.A. llh. 52m., N.D. 56°. 

 Observations of this region with an opera-glass will, no 

 doubt, show stationary meteors, or meteors which shift 

 their positions very slowly. Their places, and the direction 

 of their shift, should be noted for the purpose of determining 

 whether the radiant is a geometrical point or a circle, or 



an elliptic area, as suggested with regard to the November 

 meteors (Monthly Xoticfs of the Royal Astronomical Society, 

 Vol. XLVIL, pp. 66-73). The radiant point sinks at 

 5h. 37m. a.m. 



The Moon enters her first quarter at 6h. 25m. p.m. on 

 the 5th ; is full at 2h. 23m. p.m. on the 12th ; enters her 

 last quarter at 8h. 2;iai. a.m. on the 20th ; and is new at 

 3h. 29m. A.M. on the 28th. 



Ci^css Column. 



By C. D. LooooK, B.A.Oxon. 



Communications for this column should be addressed, 

 till further notice, to the Chess Editor, Knowledge, 326, 

 High Holborn. 



Solutions of July Problems. 

 No. 1. 



(By W. Clugston.) 



1. E to Kt6, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 



(By A. C. Challenger.) 



-1. Kt to K5. 



If 1. 

 1. 

 1. 

 1. 



Key-move. 



. KxKt, 

 . K to K6, 

 . BxBP, 

 . KB moves, 



both 



2. Q to K4ch, etc. 

 2. Kt to B4ch, etc. 

 2. Kt X Bch, etc. 

 2. Kt to B3eh, etc. 



problems received 



from 



Correct Solutions of 

 H. S. Brandreth, Alpha. 



Of No. 1 only from G. G. Beazley, W. H. Lunn, Kappa, 

 H. W. Elcum, J. M'Robert, 



Of No. 2 only from Capt. Forde. 



H. DO. Bernard. — The added Pawn is a happy idea, 

 but we fear there is still a solution by 1. KKt5, K moves 

 (best) ; 2. RE6, Pch ; 3. KR5. If 1. . . . PR4, 2. KtB2 

 or 4. This illustrates that dread of the " many keys." 



B. E. Frrington. — In No. 1 (June Number), if 1. P x Kt, 

 K moves, and there is no mate. The key, 1. QKt7, ia 

 this case allows the Pawn to mate by Queening, the 

 Black Bishop being pinned. 



PKOBLEMS. 



No. 1. 



By J. T. Blakemore. 



Black (11). 





; SU 





A 



■ 



9 faP t '9 S 





White (10). 



White mates in two moves. 



