July 2, 1900.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



1C^1 



Height of a Meteok. — Real paths have been computed at 

 various times for meteors belonginc; to nearly all the chief showers 

 of the year. But the rich shower of Aiiuarids discovered by 

 Lieut. Col. Tupman while cruisinir in the Mediterranean in 1870, 

 and supposed to present an orbital resemblance to Halley's comet, 

 had never supplied a doubly observed meteor the real patli of which 

 had been computed. At last, however, a pair of good observations 

 are forthcominc. Prof. A. S. Herschel while watching the sky 

 at Slough on Mav 3 at 15h. 57m. saw a very long -pathed shooting 

 star travelling from 291" + iS" to 176° + "15° in fij or 7 seconds, 

 and varying in magnitude from 5 to 2^. Mr. J. H. Bridger, of 

 Farnborough, was watching the sky at the same time and ;e- 

 corded a meteor of 2nd inaj. shooting from 31 0° + 36" to 179" + 31" 

 in 4 seconds. The end was not well seen .is a tree partially inter- 

 rupted the view. Prof. Herschel's observed path e.vtends over 10,5 

 degrees, while Mr. Bridger"s covers 90 degrees^ Prof. Herschel 

 carefully noted the object as it sailed from Beta ("ygni to Beti 

 Leonis.'and describes it as leaving a streiik visible for one second. 

 On comparing the observations it is found that, slightly altering 

 the Farnborough end point (the view of which was veiy imperfect), 

 they are in satisfactory agreement and enable the real path to be 

 derived as follows : — 



Height at beginning ... 

 Height at ending 



Length of path 



Telocity per second (adopting 



5Js. for duration) ... 

 Kadiant )K>int ... 



."it miles, near Sevenoaks, Kent. 

 49 miles, 9 miles soutliwest 



Cardiff, Bristol Channel. 

 \oo miles. 



28 miles. 

 337" ± 0°. 



of 



The meteor therefore pursued a very long and almost perfectly 

 horizontal path from e;ist to west, the radiant having but just 

 risen in the east. It is interesting to note that in the "British 

 Association " report for 1875. p. 232, Prof. Herschel gave the dale of 

 nearest approach of the orbit of Halley's comet to the earth as May 4, 

 the radiant point as 337" ± 0^, and tlie meteoric speed as 41 miles per 

 second. The latter element differs widely from the 28 miles per 

 second found for the recent meteor, but its original velocity in 

 space must have been greatly retarded by the resistance of the 

 earth's atmosphere during it.s very extended flight. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JULY. 



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



The Sux. — 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. 

 The earth is at its greatest distance from the sun on the 

 2nd at 1 p.m., the sun's apparent diameter then being 

 31' 30'.6. 



The Moon. — The moon will enter first quarter at 

 0.14 A.M. on the 5th; will be full at 1.22 p.m. on the 

 12th; will enter last quarter at 5.31 a.m. on the 19th; 

 and will be new at 1.43 p.m. on the 26th. 



The following are among the more interesting occulta- 

 tions during the month : — • 



a 



July 8 ' Delta Scorpii 2 5 



,, 9 it Ophiuchi .V6 



,, 11 .'BSa^ttarii 60 



,, 12 Xi(2)Si4fittarii 35 



,. 14 c^ Capricomi 5 2 



„ 16 16 Pisciura 5-6 



The Planets. — Mercury is an evening star, at greatest 

 eastern elongation of 26° on the 4th, and near inferior 

 conjunction at the end of the month. 



Venus is in inferior conjunction on the 8th, after 

 which she will be a morning star, arriving at a 

 stationary point in Gemini on the 30tli. 



Mars is a morning star, in Taurus, rising about 

 1.30 A.M. on the 1st, and shortly before 1 a.m. on the 

 31 St. 



Jupiter may be observed up to midnight. He is near 

 Beta Scorpii during the early part of the month, and is 

 in conjunction with the moon, 1° 35' to the north, at 

 1 A.M. on the 9th. On the 15th the apparent diameter 

 of the planet is 39". 4. The satoUitu phenomena are 

 most interesting— On the 1st (11.39), 3rd (8.55—11.2), 

 4th (9.2—11.16), 6lh (11.23), 10th (8.48—12.49), 11th 

 (10—12.13), 12th (10.25), 17th (8.37—11.10), 19th 

 (9.5—12.20), 20th (8.30—9.35), 24th (8.7—10.8), and 

 27th (8.7—11.30). 



Saturn mav be observed throughout tlie greater part 

 of the night, in the western part of Siigitt.jtrius. lie will 

 be on the mcridi,-\n ;it 11.27 on the 1st, at 10.28 on the 

 15th, and at 9.21 on the 31st. On the 9th the polar 

 diameter of the ball will be 17", ,and the outer major 

 and minor axes of the ring respectively 42". 5 and 18". 9. 

 The northern surface of the ring is visible. 



Uranus is above the horizon from the beginning of 

 the evening up to midnight throughout the month. He 

 remains a litlle to the south-east of Omega Ophiuchi. 



Neptune is not observable. 



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

 month, Perseus, Andromeda, and Cassiopeia; will 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. 



C^rss Column. 



By C. D. LOCOCK, B.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 June Problems. 



No. 1. 



(B. G. Laws.) 



[We much regret that, last month, this problem was 

 incorrectly diagrammed. The White Knight at QRsq 

 should be a White King. 



The problem is reprinted below; solvers who guessed 

 the mistake need not trouble to repeat their solutions, 

 which will be acknowledged, with any others, nest 

 month.] 



No. 2. 



(W. H. Gundry.) 



1. Kt to Kt3, and mates next move. 



Correct Solutions of No. 2 received from W. H. 

 Brandreth, W. de P. Crousaz, G. A. Forde (Capt.), 

 Alpha, K. W., H. Le Jeune, J. Baddeley. 



K. W. — Too late to acknowledge last month. 



W. H. Gundry. — Have sent copy of your two-mover. 

 Your solutions arrived too late to acknowledge. Three- 

 mover appears below. 



Otto Schachel. — If 1. Q x Q, the Black Knight moves 

 and will cover the threatened mate at KKt8. 



W. Parkinson.— If 1. Q to K5, Q to KKtsq, ch ! 



X. Y. Z. — The problem which you send is un- 

 fortunately too full of dual mates for publication. For 

 instance the Knight can always mate at Q7 wherever 

 the King goes, and even the threat is a double one. 

 In fact Q X B and Q to Q7 are apparently the only 

 defences free from resulting duals. 



