JcLT 1, 1899.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



167 



the various acconats of the meteor, that it belonged to a very 

 well defined radiant of midsummer fireballs in Scorpio. It had 

 a long and nearly horizontal flight (similar to that of the fireball 

 of April 4th last), and beginning over the region of Totnes, 

 Devon, it passed to north-west and disappeared over St. George's 

 Channel after a course of about one hundred and seventy miles, 

 during which it descended from sixty-one to fifty-one miles 

 above the earth's surface. The radiant was approximately at 

 250' -23' a few degrees north-east of Antares. 



Large Meteor^.— On 1899, May 27th, 8h. 53m., Mr. T. H. 

 Astbnry, of "Wallingford, saw a fine meteor about three times 

 as bright as Jupiter. Its path was from 246° -vSC to 252° -f 16°. 

 It moved swiftly and died out suddenly without an explosion. 

 On 1899. May 58th, about lOh. 30m.. a bright meteor, giving a 

 flash at its disappearance, was noted bj" 3Ir. Corder at Bridg- 

 water. It passed over « Hercnlis and was directed downwards 

 from [half- way between ji and l, Hercnlis. Fine meteors were 

 also seen on June 1st, 9h. 205m., at Kettering, and on June 5th 

 at Wallingford. 



The great Perseid meteoric shower usually begins in the 

 second week of July, and by the end of the month often becomes 

 fairly prominent. During the years from 1869 to 1898, and 

 periods from .July 12th to August 20th, the writer at Bristol 

 observed 6479 meteors, of which 2409 were Ferseids, and the 

 place of the radiani was determined on seventy-three occasions. 

 An average of these was recently deduced, and indicated the 

 position in July as follows : — 



Julv 13 

 „' 16 

 „ 19 

 „ 22 



lo'O 



16-6 

 19-7 

 22-9 



48-6 

 49-8 

 o0-9 

 51-9 



July 25 



„ 28 



„ 31 



Aug. 3 



26-2 + 52-8 

 29-6 -I- 53-6 

 33-2 + .54-4 

 36-7 -H 55-2 



It will be seen that in July the R.A. of the radiant nearly 

 corresponds with the day of the month. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JULY. 



By A. Fowler, f.k.a.s, 



THE SUN.— On the 1st the Sun rises at 3.49, and 

 sets at 8.19 ; on the 31st he rises at 4.23, and 

 sets at 7.49. He is at his greatest distance from 

 the earth on the 4th at 9 a.m., his apparent 

 diameter then being the smallest possible, 

 namely 31' 30'0.'' 



The Moon. — The Moon will be new on the 7th, at 8.31 

 P.M. ; will enter her first quarter on the 15th, at 11.59 p.m. ; 

 will be full on the 22nd, at 9.42 p.m. ; and enter her last 

 quarter on the 29th, at 0.43 p.m. 



The brightest star occulted during the month will be 

 7 Sagittarii, magnitude 5-4, on the 20th ; the disap- 

 pearance takes place at 7.39 p.m., at 5S^ from the north 

 point (80' from vertex), and the reappearance at 8.41, at 

 297° from north point (310' from vertex). 



The Pla-vets. — Mercury is an evening star throughout 

 the month, being at greatest eastern elongation of 26' 59' 

 on the 22nd, and at aphelion on the 27th. In spite of 

 this great angular 'distance from the Sun, however, the 

 planet at greatest elongation will only remain above the 

 horizon at London for about an hour after sunset, and the 

 prolonged twilight will interfere with naked-eye observa- 

 tions. On the evening of the 25th he will be a little 

 more than 2' to the south of Piegulus. 



Venus remains a morning star, badly placed for observa- 

 tion. She rises little more than an hour before the Sun, 

 and has an apparent diameter of only 10-3 ". More than 

 nine-tenths of the disc wiU be illuminated. 



Mars has almost passed out of our view, setting very 

 shortly after 10 p.m. at the middle of the month. On the 

 1st he lies to the south-east of Regulus, and during the 

 month describes a path towards /3 Virginis, a star which 

 he very closely approaches on the evening of the 29th. 

 His apparent diameter is 4'8" on the 15th. 



Jupiter remains an evening star, and will be found in 

 Virgo, roughly midway between Spica and a. Librse. He 

 will be in eastern quadrature on the 24th. He crosses the 

 meridian on the 1st at 7.16 pm., and on the 31st at 

 5.24 P.M., setting about half-past eleven on the latter date. 

 The low altitude of the planet, combined with long twi- 

 light, renders the position rather unfavourable. On the 

 15th the polar diameter is 35-2". At convenient hours 

 the satellite phenomena are most interesting on the 7th, 

 8th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 25th and 31st. 



Saturn remains in the southern part of Ophiuchus, 

 between the stars i; and 9 of that constellation, and remains 

 visible until after midnight throughout the month. He is 

 due south at Greenwich on the 1st at 10.33 p.m., on the 

 15th at 9.35 P.M., and on the 31st at 8.29 p.m. On the 

 15th the polar diameter of the planet is 16-8" ; the outer 

 major and minor axes of the rings are respectively 41-9" 

 and 18-S ' ; while the axes of the inner bright ring are 

 respectively 267" and 12-0 '. The rings are widely open 

 and the northern surfaces are visible. 



Uranus remains in Scorpio, almost midway between 

 V Scorpii and p Ophiuchi. He will be due south on the 

 1st at 9.82 P.M., and on the 15th at 8.36 p.m. The 

 apparent diameter is 3-8 " and the movement is westerly. 



Neptune is too near the Sun to be observed. 



The Stabs. — About 10 p.m. at the middle of the month, 

 Perseus, Andromeda and Cassiopeife wiU be in the north- 

 east ; Cygnus and Pegasus in the east ; Aquila in the south- 

 east ; Lyra nearly overhead ; Corona, Libra and Virgo in 

 the south-west ; and Ursa Major in the north-west. 



A favourable minimum of Algol wUl occur on the 13th 

 at 9.51 p.m. 



€1^(00 Colttmn. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed to 

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

 before the 10th of each month. 



Solutions of June Problems. 

 (By W. S. Branch, Cheltenham. 



No. 1. 

 1. B to B6, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 



Q to B8, and mates next move. 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 J. K. M. (Repton), Capt. G. A. Forde, K. W., D. E. 

 Fotheringham, H. S. Brandreth, N. B. Dick, W. Clugston, 

 G. C. (Teddington), H. Le Jeune, X. M. Munro, J. 

 Baddeley, many of whom have greatly admired these two 

 problems. 



Of No. 2 only, from Alpha, E. Servante, A. H. Doubleday, 

 W. de P. Crousaz, W. Nash, A. T. Laster. 



[Most of the above have given 1. B to B8 as the key of 

 No. 1, overlooking that after 1. ... R to B5ch, 2. KxR 

 (dis. eh.), the Black Pawn can interpose.] 



Alpha. — If it were not for the check ! 



E, Servante. — If 1. KtP x P, the Black Bishop moves. 



Percival K. Hogi/. — A little examination will convince 

 you that none of your solutions to No 1 will quite work. 



TI'. Xtish. — Very glad to hear from you. You are in 

 good company with " Alpha." 



J?<?i-. E. Cowley, — Thanks for the problem, which I have 



