Jantary 1, 1900.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



23 



or from commanding positions whence the display might have 

 been viewed lo the best advantage, but disappointment was 

 almost universal. At some stations, liowever, it is gratifying 

 to find it reported that meteors were tolerabl_v numerous, and 

 that a few tine Leonids were noticed. From these a proportion 

 of the impromptu observers received at least a small measure of 

 satisfaction. It may be a solace to those who saw little or 

 nothing, when they reflect that the shower may be brilliantly 

 visible in I'.tOO or 1901. In several newspapers the statement 

 has lately been made that all chance of seeing the meteors has 

 gone until a generation hence, when the swarm, having com- 

 pleted another revolution, would return in 193:'). This is, 

 however, based on a misconception, for the denser portion n( 

 the system occupies several years in passing through that region 

 of the orbit intersected by the earth at the middle of Xov( inbtr. 

 AVe are fairly entitled to e.xpect that either in November r.iOil. 

 or 1901, the shower will be witnessed at its best, though it 

 seems probable that in the former year it will occur during 

 daylight in Englami. and 19ill, when there will be no moon, 

 apparently offers much tlie best prospect. 



Thk Mktkors ur BrEi.A's Comht. — There was reason to 

 expect that as nothing of these meteors was noticed in 1898, 

 and as the parent comet, if it still exists, passed through its 

 perihelion some time this year, that a jjretty strong .shower of 

 them might be seen on about November 23rd or •J4th. They 

 were accordlnglj- looked for at several places, and with moderate 

 success, for a very definite shower of Andromedids was ob.^erved. 

 At Xew York, Prof. Young, at the Princeton Observatory, .saw 

 fortj--two meteors on November ■24th belonging to this shower, 

 and secured photographs of several. The astronomers of the 

 observatory at Yienna watclied lietween early evening and 

 moonrise on November 'JUrd, and counted sixty-seven shooting 

 stars, mostly directed from the constellation Andromeda. A 

 magnificent fireball was also seen shining in that constellation. 

 Twelve photographs were .secm-ed. Mr. E. C. Willis reports in 

 Nature of December 7th, that on November '24th he watched 

 from 10 to 11.25, and noted fifty-two Andromedids an;l ten 

 other meteors. The shower was strongest between 10 and 

 10.15, when twenty Andromedids were .seen. At Bristol the 

 same ill-fortune followed the observers as on November 14 th 

 and 15th, for clouds veiled the heavens on November '2:ird and 

 ■24th, except for about half an hour in the early evening of 

 November 2.3rd, when in a beautiful sky only two meteoi's were 

 seen, and neither of these were Andromedids. It is probable 

 that on the afternoon or early evening of November 24 th the 

 shower formed a pretty, bright, and numerous one, but we have 

 not yet received anj- reports which would lead us to think that 

 the display was in any way comparable to the imposing showers 

 of November 27th, 1><72, and 1««5. The next really rich display 

 of these meteors will probably occur on November 18th, 1905. 

 In the spring of 1901, Jupiter will be in the region of this 

 meteor group, and disturb it in a manner to bring its apparition 

 six days earlier than at the present time according to the com- 

 putations of Schulhof and Abelmann. 



The Qcadrantidj. — This annual shower is sometimes rather 

 striking, and quite as rich as the Perseids, though it has been 

 comparatively seldom observed. It should be looked for on the 

 early evening of January 2nd, and morning of January ,3rd. 

 The radiant is at 230" + ii'd^ ; the meteors are pretty bright, 

 of moderate velocity, and traverse long paths. 



most conveniently observable occultations during the 

 month : — 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JANUARY. 



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



The Sun. — On the 1st the sun ri.ses at 8.8 and 

 sets at 4.0 ; on the 31st he rises at 7.42 and .sets at 

 4.46. The sun is at its least distance from the earth 

 at 6 a.m. on the 2nd, the apparent diameter then being 

 at its maximum, .32' 3.5 ".08 ; the horizontal parallax 

 is then 9". 00. Few sunspots arc to be expected. 



The Moon. — The moon will be new on the 1st at 

 1.52 P.M., will enter first quarter on the 8th at 

 5.40 A.M., will be full on the 15th at 7.8 p.m., will enter 

 last quarter on the 23rd at 11.53 p.m., and will be again 

 new on the 31st at 1,27 a.m. The following are the 



Thk I'lanets.. — Mercury is a morning star through- 

 out the month, but is not well placed for observation in 

 our latitudes on account of his great, southerly decli 

 nation. 



Venus is an evening star, setting on the IsL about 

 2 hours after the sun, and on the 31st nearly 3 liours 

 after the sun. The planet will be found low down, 

 south of ■■vest, soon after sunset. At the middle of 

 the month nearly nine-tenths of the disc will be 

 illuminated. 



Mars will be in conjunction with the sun on the 

 16th, and cannot be observed this month. 



Jupiter is a morning star, rising shortly after 4 a.m., 

 at the middle of the month, his polar diameter then 

 being 30". 6. The movement of the planet is direct, 

 in the northern part of Scorpio. 



Saturn is a morning star but too near the sun for 

 easy observation, rising just before half-past .six at the 

 middle of the month. 



Uranus is also a morning star, rising about 5 a.m. at 

 the middle of the month. 



Neptune, in Taurus, may be seen almost all night. 

 His movement is westerly. He is in the Milky Way, 

 almost midway between Zeta Tauri and 132 Tauri. 



The Stars. — About 9 p.m. at the middle of the 

 month, Ursa Major will be in the north-east, Leo and 

 Cancer towards the east, Gemini high up, and Canis 

 Minor lower in the soutli-east, Auriga and Perseus 

 nearly overhead, Orion and Taurus nearly in the south, 

 Aries and Cctus towards the south-west, Pegasus and 

 Andromeda in the west, and Cygnus in the north-west. 



Convenient minima of Algol will occur on the 4th 

 at 7.33 P.M., on the 24th at 9.15 p.m., and on the 27th 



at 6.4 p.u. 



. ^ 



d^tSB Column. 



Bv C. D. LococK, li.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 December Problems. 

 (C. D. Locock.) 



No. 1. 

 1. Kt to K7, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 

 1. B to Kt2, and mates next move. 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 E. A. Servante, H. S. Brandiclh, W. de P. Crousaz, 

 W. d'A. Barnard, G. F. Todd, J. Baddeley, A. E. 

 Whiteliou.sc, G. C. (Teddington), K. W., H. Le Jeune. 



Of No. 2 only, from Alpha, G. A. Forde (capt.;. 

 J. T. Blakemore. — Many tiianks for your prompt 

 response, the two problems appear below. 



