M.«cH 1, 1900.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



71 



Another meteor was observod by Prof. Horschcl, at Slough, 

 and Mr. A. King, at Leicester, on .Tanuarv "JTth, at llh. l(hu. 

 It h.ad a radiant \t 9S^ - lit'\ and fell from a height of fifty 

 seven to forty-five miles. 



SiiowEits ov Leomus ami AxpnoMEPES. — It is a remark- 

 able fact that after the present year the two great November 

 displays will be due on almost the same day of the year though 

 there is a considerable ditferonce of period, the Leonids .arriving 

 on Xovember loth, and the Bielan meteors on November 17th. 

 And another curious ciroumsfcmce in connection with these 

 comet;iry showers is that five periods (t)-6G years) of the latter 

 accurately represent one period {■'•'y.) years) of tlie former. 

 The Leonids complete throe revolutions and the Bielids rifteen 

 revolutions in a century. Brilliant displays may possibly come 

 as follows : — 



1900. Leonids. 



1901. Leonids. 

 190J. Biehds. 

 1912. Bielids. 

 1918. Bielids. 



192.5. Bielids. 

 19,32. Bielids. 



Leonids. 

 Leonids. 

 Leonids. 



193S. 

 1934. 



1935. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR MARCH. 



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



The Sun. — Ou the 1st the sun rise3 at 6.48 and sets 

 at 5.38; on the 31st he rises at 5.40 and sets at 6.29. 

 The sun entei-s Aries, and Spring commences on the 

 21st at 2 A.M. 



Observers who are favoured with clear western skies 

 may expect to see the Zodiacal Light in the carlv 

 evening. 



The AIoon. — The moon will be new at 11.25 a.m. on 

 the Lst, will enter first quarter at 5.34 a.m. on the 8th 

 will be full at 8.12 a.m. on the 16th, will enter la.st 

 quarter at 5.37 a.m. on the 24th, and will be again 

 new at 8.31 p.m. on. the 30th. The following are the 

 most interesting occultations : — 



a 



o . 



The Planets. — Mercury is well placed as an evening 

 star during the early part of the month, reaching his 

 greatest elongation of 18° 16 minutes east on the 8th 

 at 11 A.M., when he sets an hour and forty-nine minutes 

 after the sun; at 6.45 p.m. he will be alsout 7 degrees 

 above the horizon and 3 degrees south of west. Tho 

 apparent diameter of the planet on the 1st is 6" ; on 

 the 8th 7". 2; and on the 12th, 8".2. One may ex 

 pect to observe the planet to advantage during thj 

 first twelve days of the month ; Venus will be about 

 20 degrees east of Mercury. 



Venus will be a very conspicuous object in the western 

 sky throughout the month in the early evening. A;; 

 the middle of the month she sets at 9.54 p.m., nearly 

 four hours after the sun, seven-tenths of the disc being 

 then illuminated. At the beginning of the month 

 she is in the western part of Pisces, but passes into 

 Aries about the llth and into Taurus about the 30th 

 During the month the apparent diameter increases from 

 14".8 to 18".0. 



Mars does not rise until about a quarter of an hour 

 before sunrise, and cannot therefore be observed. 



Jupiter continues as a morning star, rising about 



1.54 A.M. on the 1st and about midnight on the 3 lst. 

 His path is a short direct ono in Ophiuchus until 

 the 27th, when he is stationary. At the middlo of the 

 month the apparent diameter of the planet is 36". 2. 



Saturn remains a morning stai', rising about 



2.55 A.M. on the ]5tli. During the month he describes 

 ,t short direct path in the western part of Sagittarius. 



Uranus is also a morning star, rising shortly after 

 1 .\.M. at the middlo of the month. He remains 

 nearly midway between Antares and Eta Ophiuch". 

 He is in quadrature on the 3rd and stationary on the 

 i7th. At the end of the month ihe planet will be 

 about 1° south of Jupiter and 1 }P west. 



Neptune may still be picked up in the early cvenine 

 by diligent obsci-vcrs ; at the middle of the month ho 

 sets about 10 p.m. Ho is stationary on tho 5tli and in 

 quadrature on the 15th. At the middlo of the mont'i 

 he is 1° north of Zet.a, Taiiri and .'! minutes (45') 

 following that star. 



The Stars. — About the middle of the month, at 

 9 p.m., Aries will be nearly setting a little north of 

 west, Taunis will be neai'ly due west, Orion in the 

 south-west, Capella high up in tho west, Sirius low 

 down about 30° south of west, Procyon and Gemini 

 higher and a little nearer tho meridian. Cancer on the 

 meridian, Leo pretty high up in the south-oast. Arc- 

 turns to the cast, Hercules and Vega low down in the 

 north-east. 



Minima of Algol will occur on the Stii at 9. .31 p.m., 

 on the 28ih at U.12 p.m., and on the 31i?t at 8 p.m. 



€1)CS9 Column. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

 to C. D. LococK, Netheriield, Camberley, and be posted 

 bv the 10th of each month. 



Solution.s of February Problems. 

 (J. G. Campbell.) 



No. 1. 



Key-move — 1. B to Kt«q. 

 If 1 . . . P X Kt, 2. Q to QR7, etc. 



1 ... K X Kt, 2. Q X P. etc. 



1 ... K to l<:2, 2. Q X Pch. 

 1 . . . IMo B4, 2. QxP. 

 [It is noticeable that the White QB is used only to 

 make the key-move. This would be considered an 

 cffence against the law ot economy in a modern 

 problem.] 



No. 2. 



Key-move— 1. Q to Kt<). 

 If 1 . . . PxQ, 2. K toB2, etc. 



1 ... P to B3, 2. Kt to Kt7(h, etc 

 1 ... Kt to K3, 2. R to B3, etc. 

 Other variations lead to shor*-- mates. 

 Correct Solutions of ix-th problems received from 

 J. Baddeley, Alpha, Capt. Fordo, W. Nash, K. W. ; 

 all of whom speak of the two problems in terms of 

 admiration. 



Of No. 1 only, from E. Servantc, H. S. Brandreth, 

 n. Le Jcune, W. J. Allea. 



H. S. Brandreth. — Yonr main variation in No. 2 

 being incoiTect you are, peiliaps unjustly, not credited 

 with its correct solution, although you have given the 



