286 



KNOWLEDGE 



[Decembfr 1, 1900. 



Mr. Ballard, of Leigh Linton, near Malrem, says that the meteor fell 

 within ten yards of his house. It appeared just orer him, and he 

 moved to be out of its way when it fell just over the hedge. The 

 Rev. H. J. Scott, writing from Chin, Shropshire, says that three 

 minutes after the meteor had disappeared he heard a sound like the 

 distinct but distant roll of artillery for 15 or 20 seconds. Another 

 observer at Cluu says the meteor passed overhead and that two minutes 

 later he heard a rumbling sound resembling distinct thunder. As 

 the nucleus sailed along several varicoloured fragments detached 

 themselves from it. At Devizes some observers counted seven of 

 these smaller bodies, and say that the phenomenon ended in a shower 

 of sparks followed by the sound of a gun. A considerable number of 

 descriptions have appeared in the newspapers, but they are very 

 incomplete and in some instances inaccurate. Hence it is extremely 

 ditTicult to deduce a satisfac'ory real path, but it certainly appears that 

 the object was very low in the air. From some of the most reliable 

 accounts it would seem that the radiant was in Sagitta at .300° +22°, 

 and that the meteor passed from a height of 68 miles over a point 

 near Ts'ew Radnor to a height of 20 miles over Shiffnal. Length 

 of path 66 miles, and velocity 11 miles per second. The fireball was 

 certainly a splendid object, but it is questionable whether it justified 

 the Dailii Mail's expression that it was " one of the brightest meteors 

 seen in an English sky for many a year!" About 10 minutes after 

 the fireball had appeared, another and a smaller one was seen movmg 

 in a contrary direction, and at 9h. 25m. a third appeared. There was 

 also a bright meteor at about lOh., and at lib. 5Sm. Prof. A. S. 

 Herscbel recorded one equal to Venus falling slowly from 149° + 46° 

 to 155° + 38" and leaving a train of orange sparks. Tlie latter was 

 also seen by ilr. C. L. Brook, at Jleltham, near Huddersfield. The 

 radiant was at 350° - 4°, and height of the object 63 to 48 miles 

 over the North Sea. 



Obseevatio>-3 or Shooting St.\rs ix Octoeeb. — Ihe month 

 was tolerably favourable, and at Bristol 141 meteors were observed in 

 12i hours' watching. The radiants well determined were as follows : — 



FiBEBAXL OF OCTOBER 27, lln. 42ir. — The writer at Bristol saw 

 a meteor feveral times brighter than Venus, shooting rapidly frcm 

 7S° + 33° to 56° + 24i°. It left a bright irregular streak, a section 

 of which was watched with a small opera-glass, power 2, for 13 

 minutes. During this period it drifted 17 degrees in a southerly 



Path and Streak of Fireball of 1900, October 27, llh. 42ui., observed 

 by W. F. Denning, at Bristol. 



direction. Soon after its first projection it formed a perfect sickle, the 

 denser and more enduring section forming the handle. The meteor 

 was observed by Mrs. W. H. S. Monck, of Dublin, passing just 

 below the belt of Orion in a direction from east to west. The meteor 



had a radiant at 136° + 34", and its height was from 76 miles over a 

 point 5 miles W. of Basingstoke to 67 miles over a point 8 mdes 

 S. of Salisbury. Observed path 34 miles, and velocity about 40 miles 

 per second, the duration of flight being est'mated 9 second. 



The Leonids or 1900.— At Bristol the weather was unfavourable 

 on November 1.3th and 14th, but occasional observations showed that 

 Leonids were very scarce. There were a few brilliant slow-moving 

 Taurids from a radiant at 58° + 10°. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR DECEMBER. 



Bj A. FOWLEE, F.E.A.S. 



The Sun. — On the 1st the sun rises at 7.4-5 aud sets at 

 3. -54 ; on the 31st he rises at 8.8 aud seta at 3.58. He 

 enters Capricomus, and Winter commences on the •22nd 

 at 7 A.M. Few sunspots are to be expected. 



The Moon.— The moon will be full on the 6th at 

 10.38 A.M., wiU enter last quarter on the 13th at 10.42 p m., 

 will be new on the 22nd at 0.1 a..m., and will enter first 

 quarter on the 29th at 1.48 a.m. The more interesting 

 occultations during the mouth are as follows : — 



The Pl.ojets. — Mercury is a morning star, reaching 

 the greatest westerly elongation of 20" 50' on the 8th. 

 On the 3rd he rises at 5.50 a.m., and on the 10th at 

 5.58 A.M., so that his position may be considered fairly 

 favourable, especially as there are no bright stars or 

 planets in the neighbourhood. 



Venus is a morning star, rising shortly after 4 a.m. on 

 the 1st, and at about quarter to 6 on the 31st. On the 

 15th the illuminated portion of the disc is 0836, and the 

 apparent diameter 128." 



Mars is visible before midnight throughout the month, 

 rising on the 1st at 10.35 p.m., and on the 31st at 9 21 p.m. 

 The path of the planet is easterly through Leo (see 

 diagram). On the I5th, the illuminated part of the disc 

 is 0907, the apparent diameter 8 6", and the distance 

 from the earth alx)ut 100 millions of miles. 



The apparent Path of Mars, from November 1, 1900, to July 1, 1901. 

 Eros, which is now receiving so much attention in a 



