May 1, 1900.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



119 



Eciipss OP TUK Srs, Mat 2Sth. 

 as it will a|>(H'ar in London 



19<^>, 



3.5."i I'.M. 



2A- P.M. 



4.45 I- M. 

 E(lii)si' ends, 4.57 P.M. 



3 P.M. 



Ecli|)si> hegin* 



The Moon ■will enttM* first quarter on the <3tb at 

 1.89 P.M. ; will be full on the 1-ith at :l.o7 p.m. ; will enter 

 last quarter on the "Jlst at 8.31 p.m. ; and will l>e new on 

 the 28th at 2.50 p.m. The solar eolipsf on the 28th will 

 furnish a good opportunity of observing the Moon's linil). 



The principal oecultations during the month arc as 

 follows : — 



The Planets. — Mercury is a morning star until the 

 30th, when he is in superior eoujuuction. He is not well 

 placed for observation in our latitudes. He will be very 

 close to the sun during the total eclipse on the 28th. 



Venus remains an evening star throughout the month, 

 and will reach her greatest brilliancy at the end. The 

 apparent diameter will increase from 24"2 on the 1st to 

 36' -t on the 31st, and on the 15th the illuminated portion 

 of the disc will be 402. The path of the planet is 

 easterly through Gemini. Tlie planet will lx> near to 

 Epsilon Geminorum on the 14th and 15th, about Ipto 

 the north, and a little over 3° to the north of Delta on 

 the 27th. 



Mars is a morning star, not well j)laeed for observation. 



Jupiter will be in opposition on the 27th. On the 1st 

 he rises about 9.45 p.m., and crosses the meridian .shortly 

 before 2 a.m. On the 31st he rises at 7.31 p.m., and 

 crosses the meridian at 11.39 p.m. The apparent diameter 

 is 41" on the 1st, and 42" on the 31st. On account of his 

 southerly declination of nearly 2P, the planet only reaches 

 a low altitude, even when on the meridian. The path is a 

 westerly one, a few degrees north of Antares. The 

 satellite phenomena are most interesting on the 3rd, 7th, 

 10th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19ih, 23rd, 26th and 27th. 



Saturn rises shortly before midnight on the 1st, and a 

 little before 10 p.m. on the 31st. The planet describes a 

 short westerly arc a little north of Lamlxla Sagittarii. 

 The apparent polar diameter increases from 16"'2 to 16' 8 

 during the month ; the ring is widely open, and its 

 northern surface is presented to us. 



Uranus rises alxiut lO p.m. at the Iseginning, and about 

 8 P..M. at the end of the month. The plane! traverses a 

 short westerly path, alwtit 2^^ east of Jupiter, on the 1st, 

 and about 5° east on the 31st. 



Neptime sets about 11 p.m. on the 1st, and a few- 

 minutes after 9 p.m. on the 31st. He is nearly midwav 

 between Zeta Tauri and 132 Tauri. 



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



Spica Virginis will be due south, .A returns a little east of 

 south, Ursa Major nearly overhead, Scorpio rising in the 

 south-east, Vega pretty high up in the east, Cygnus 

 ni>rtli-east, Leo in the soutli-west, and Gemini a little 

 north of west. 



Cl^tss CEolumn. 



By C. D. LococK, b.a. 



Communications for this column should be addressed 

 to C. D. LorocK. Netherfield, Canibeiley, and be posted 

 by the lOth of ca*-!! month. 



Solutions of April Problems. 



No. 1. 



(W. Cleave.) 



1. Kt (Q5) to K3, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 

 (H. A. Wood.) 



1. R to QB5, and mates next move. 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 \V. Nash, Alpha, G. A. Forde (Capt.), H. S. Brandreth, 

 W. de P. Crousaz, K. W., J. W. Meyjes, J. Baddeley, 

 H. Le Jeune. Of No. 2 only, from W. A. Roger.son. 



B. G. Laws. — Many thanks for your three-mover. It 

 is marked to appear in the June number. 



K. W. — Mr. Rayner's book is entitled '' Chess Problems, 

 their Composition and Solution." Price Is. The publishers 

 are Messrs. Swan Sonneuschein & Co., Paternoster Sijuare, 

 E.C. I am indebted for this information to Mr. B. G. Laws, 

 the author of " The Two-move Chess Problem." 



W. Parkinson. — If (No. 1) QxB, R moves, there is 

 no mate at QB2, as the Pawn can cover. In No. 2, 1. Q 

 to Q7 is answered by P to K7 or otlier equally good 

 defences. 



W. A. RoGERsoN. — Q X Kt very nearly solves No. 1, 

 but 1 . . . R to B3 just prevents it, as Kt x R is not mate. 

 Tour notation is quite correct. 



H. D. Dryerre, Junr. — See reply above. 



PROBLEMS. 



No. 1. 



By N. M. Gibbins (Repton). 



Black (5). 





m ......mim 



%........m 



''^fi^-\\l'''^^ ^'«S^ .•v"'''^'^ 



m„ 



Whits (S). 



White mates in two moves. 



