Mabch 1, 1899.] 



KNOWLEDGE, 



71 



Stortford, Herts, trarelling from centrally between the two 

 stars in the tail of Ursa Major towards i Draconis. This object 

 was also seen by Mr. A. King at Leicester, and he noted the 

 path as being from llSi^ +60'^ to 17U-^ + r>i°. but the obser- 

 vation was not a very good one. On February 12th, at 8h, 45m., 

 a large meteor was seen in a cloudy sky by Mr. T. Harries, at 

 Llanellv, who states it fell almost vertically in azimuth 70' west 

 of south altitude 35" to 15-''. On February 13th, at 8h. 37m., 

 Mr. H. Corder, at Bridgwater, noted a slow-moving second 

 m^nitude meteor, travelling from f Tanri eastwards from the 

 direction of a Arietis. Meteors of the latter type are interesting 

 from the fact that their radiants lie in the western sky. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR MARCH. 



By A. FoWLEB, F.E.A.S. 



THE SUN.— On the 1st the Sun rises at 6.48, and 

 seta at 5,38 ; on the 31st he rises at 5.39, and 

 sets at 6.29. The Sun enters Aries, and Spring 

 commences on the 20th at 8 p.m. A well marked 

 decline in the number and size of stmspots has 

 lately been noted. 



The zodiacal light may be looked for in the west during 

 two or three hours after sunset. 



The Moox. — The Moon will enter her last quarter 

 on the 5th, at 4.7 a.m.; will be new on the 11th, at 

 7.53 p.m.; enter her first quarter on the 19th, at 3.24 

 A.M. ; and wLU be full on the 27th, at 6.19 a.m. Oocultations 

 of 50 and 61 Geminorum (mags. 5-0 and 5-7) will occur 

 on the 20th. The disappearance of the former takes place 

 before sunset, at 5.82 p.m., at an angle of 124~ from the 

 north point (152^ from vertex), and the reappearance at 

 6.50 P.M., 265" from the northpoint (275- from the vertex), 

 (il Geminorum disappears at 8.50 p.m., at iS3' from the 

 north point (60' from the vertex) ; and reappears at 9,59 

 P.M., 320' from the north point (28tj' from the vertex). 



The Planets. — Mercury is an evening star throughout 

 the month, and will be favourably situated in the west for 

 observation, after sunset, for some days before and after 

 the 24th, when he will be at his greatest easterly elonga- 

 tion of 18" 36'. We may note that the angrdar distance 

 from the sun is small at this elongation, for the reason 

 that the planet is near perihelion, the actual perihelion 

 passage occurring on the 17th, at 2 p.m. The elongation, 

 however, is favourable, because when the sun is setting near 

 the vernal equinox, the ecliptic is greatly inclined to the 

 horizon. The apparent diameter of the planet on the 

 24th will be 7'4' , and on that date he will set about an 

 hour and fifty minutes after the sun. I'uring the time of 

 his visibility his path lies in Pisces, and there will be no 

 bright star in his immediate neighbourhood. At 7 p.m. 

 on the 24th he will be about 10' above the horizon, his 

 amplitude then being only two or three degrees north of 

 west. 



Venus remains a moming star throughout, the month. 

 Her decUnation ranges from 19" south to 12" south, but at 

 the beginning of the month she rises about two hours, 

 and at the end a little more than one hour, before the Stin. 

 The path of the planet is a Uttle south of the ecliptic, 

 through the most easterly part of Sagittarius until the 

 10th, then through Capricornus, crossing the ecliptic on 

 the 27th, and passing into Aquarius. At the middle of 

 the month, 0-o4 of the disc will be illuminated. 



Mars will still be a conspicuous object in Gemini. 

 Passing from his recent stationary point a little south-west 

 of Pollux, he will traverse a short easterly path to a point 

 almost in a line with Castor and Pollux. At the middle of 

 the month he will have an apparent diameter of 9-8 , as 

 compared with 14'4" at the opposition, on January 18th. 

 On the 1st he will be on the meridian at 8.49 p.m., and on 



the 31st at 7.14 p.m., setting on these dates at 5.20 a.m. 

 and 3.27 a m. respectively. On the 15th, 0-922 of the 

 disc will be illuminated. 



Jupiter is rapidly coming into a position for observation 

 at convenient hours. On the 1st he rises about 11 p.m., 

 and on the 31st shortly before 9 p.m. During the month 

 he describes a short retrograde or westerly path, not far 

 to the west, and a little north of a Librae, The polar 

 diameter increases from y7'4 ' to 40 2 . When on the 

 meridian at London the planet will be about 25" above the 

 horizon. 



Saturn is a moming star, and continues his eastward 

 path through the most southerly part of Ophiuchus. On 

 the 1st he rises shortly before 3 a,m., and on the 31st a 

 Uttle before 1 a.m. He will be in quadrature with the Sun 

 on the 14th. 



Uranus rises on the 1st about 1.40 a.m., and on the 

 31st about 11.40 p.m. He describes an eastward path 

 until the 13th, when he will be stationary, after which his 

 path wiU be westerly near cu Ophinchi. The southern 

 declination of the planet is 21i\ and the apparent diameter 

 3-6". 



Neptune is stationary on the 3rd, and in quadrature on 

 the 12th. He remains in the neighbourhood of !, Tauri, 

 preceding this star by about 6m., and lying about 50' to 

 the north. 



The St.uis. — About the middle of the month, at 9 p.m., 

 Aries will be nearly setting a little north of west, Taurus 

 will be nearly due west, Orion in the south-west, Capella 

 high up in the west, Sirius low down about 3i)" west of 

 south, Procyon and Gemini higher and a little nearer the 

 meridian. Cancer on the meridian, Leo pretty high up in 

 the south-east, Arcturus in the east, Hercules and Vega 

 low down in the north-east. 



Minima of Algol will occur on the 4th at 12,21 a.m., on 

 the 6th at 9.10 p.m., on the 26th at 10.53 p.m., and on the 

 29th at 7-41 P.M. 



<K1^css Colttmn. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed to 

 C. D. LococK, Xetherfield, Camberley, and posted on or 

 before the 10 th of each month. 



Solutions of February Prohleins. 



(J. Nield.) 



No. 1. 



1. Q to Q3, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 

 1. Q to Esq, and mates next move. 



CoRBECT Solutions of both problems received from 

 G. A. Forde (Capt.), K. W., Alpha, J. M. K. Lupton, 

 G, C. (Teddington), G. Reed Makeham, C. T. Kershaw, 

 H. H, Thomas, W. H. Stead, F. V. Louis, W. de P. Crousaz, 

 W. Clugston, '\V. Hughes, D. R, Fotheringham. 



Of No. 1 only, from Miss J. G. Tueakston, H. S. 

 Brandreth. 



Of No. 2 only, from Sunnyside, G. Ct. Beazley. 



[The dual in No. 1 (after K to Q4) appears to have 

 escaped general notice ; also the clever " try " by 1. Q to 

 Bsq. F. V. Louis alone mentions them.j 



(j. G. Beadey arul Sunnyside, — 1. Q to R5 is met by 

 B to Kt2. 



H. S. Brandreth.— In No. 2, if Q to R7. P to K6. 



H. Bri-stoic. — Thanks for your problem. Is there not a 

 second solution by 1. R to R5"? From an economical 



