232 



NA TURE 



[January 4, 1906 



Prominence is also given to higher educational matters, and 

 the man of science will find much in this section to interest 

 him. 



Messrs. Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., have pub- 

 lished the twenty-second annual issue, that for 1905, ol 

 the " Official Year-book of the Scientific and Learned 

 Societies of Great Britain and Ireland." This useful work 

 of reference is already well known as a trustworthy guide 

 to the scientific societies and their work. Though the 

 volume is very comprehensive, we miss a reference to the 

 Geographical Association and to the Public Schools s > icm e 

 Masters' Association. The editor might consider the 

 advisability of including associations dealing with educa- 

 tional science. 



A sew vernier rule and scale designed by Mr. S. Irwin 

 Crookes has been received from the maker — Mr. W. II 

 Harling, 47 Finsbury Pavement, E.C. The rule is divided 

 on one face into inches and eighths of an inch and centi- 

 metres and millimetres ; the other face has on the edges 

 divisions and numbers representing degrees from o to 150, 

 and a barometer scale reading from 20 to 32. A metal 

 vernier slides in a slot cut through the middle of the 

 length of the ride, and it is divided in four different ways 

 to read fractions of the four scales on the rule. The 

 device should be valuable in making students familiar with 

 the use of the vernier on many precise scientific instru- 

 ments. 



Tiif. second annual issue of the " Science Year Book 

 ($s. net), edited by Major B. I". S. Baden-Powell, has been 

 published by Messrs. King, Sell and Olding, Ltd. Several 

 new features have been introduced, and every car-' appears 

 to have been taken to make the volume serviceable to men 

 ol si ience and others interested in natural knowledge. I he 

 year book includes a diarj containing al the head of every 

 daily page the astronomical and meteorological particulars 

 of the day likely to be of interest, and blank spaces for 

 recording results ol observations, (liber characteristics are 

 tables of useful data, an astronomical ephemeris, maps of 

 the constellations, charts of planetary positions during 1906, 

 and various statistics and notes referring to matters not 

 usually included in ordinary calendars and almanai - 

 Men are also shorl summaries . > 1 progress in science 

 during Iasl year, an eclectii bibliographical directory, and 

 a list of scientific books published last year. The year 

 book is thus a convenient and helpful companion for the 

 study, laboratory , or observatoi 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 Astronomical Occurrences in January: — 

 Jan. 4. 4h. 12m. to 5b. torn. Moon occults | 2 Ceti (mag. 



4h. 12m. to 5b. 10m 



4-3)- 



,, 4- 15I1. Mercury at greatest elongation, 23° o' W, 

 ,, 5. 5h. Ytnus in conjunction with Uranus, Yenus 0° 6' N. 

 ., 5. I4h. 45m. to 15)1. 16111. Moon occults/Tauii (mag. 



4\3)- 

 ,, 6. 14I1. 52m. to 15b. 40m. Moon occults y Tauri (mag. 



3'9)- 

 ,, 14- nh. 1111. to nh. 5Sm. Moon occults <r Leonis 



(mag. 4-1). 

 ,, 15. Yenus. Illuminated portion of disc = 0-993. Of 



Mars = 0-923. 

 ., is. Ilh. 2m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 

 „ 18. 7h. 51m. Minimum of Algol {8 Persei). 

 „ 26. 8h. Saturn in conjunction with Moon. Saturn 0° 31' S. 

 ,, 28. 6h. 17m. to Sh. 14m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. III. 



A Four 1 11 New Comet (1005c). — A telegram from the 

 Kiel Centralstelle announces the discovery of another new 

 comet by the Flagstaff observers. This object was dis- 

 covered, presumably, from the examination of a photo- 

 graph, l.\ Mr. Lowell, who gives its position on November 

 29, 1905, at oh. 27m. (Flagstaff M.T.), as follows: — 

 R.A. = 22h. 32-2111., dec. = —8" 42'. 



The apparent motion of the comet was either in a north- 

 east or a south-west direction, and the photograph showed 

 that the body was accompanied by two tails. 



The above position is in the constellation Aquarius, about 

 half-way between </> Aquarii and 1 Ceti. 



New Elements and Ephemeris for Comet 1905c. — A 

 new set of elements and a daily ephemeris for comet 1905c 

 (Giacobini) are given by llerr E. Stromgren in No. 4062 

 of the Astronomische Nachrichten. 



These elements, and an extract from the ephemeris, are 

 given below . 



T=igo6 Jan. 22-666 (M. T. Beilin), 



Jan. 



The above positions are plotted on the accompanying 

 chart, which shows approximately the apparent positions of 

 the comet among the stars on the dates indicated. 



Int. Expected Return of Comet 1892 V. — In Circular 

 No. 84 from the Kiel Centralstelle, M. J. Coniel gives 

 several provisional search-ephemerides, showing positions 

 up to Januarj ("5, for comet 1892 V. 



rhis comet was discovered by Holmes on November 6, 

 1S92. and was observed during its apparition in 1899, when. 

 1 through its perihelion on April 28. Its period! 

 ; by Z.wiers as DN74 years. 



Micrometer Measures of Double Stars. — The results 

 of a series of micrometer measures of eighty-three double 

 stars, taken from the Struve, Burnham, and Hussey cata- 

 logues, are published in No. 4054 of the Astronomische 

 Nachrichten by Herr II. E. Lau. The observations were 

 mule during March, 1905, with the Urania-Sternwarte 

 (Copenhagen) refractor, of 246 mm. aperture and 4-1 metres, 

 focal length, fitted with a Cooke position micrometer. 



I"i each double, the time of observation, the position- 

 angle, the distance, the magnitudes of the components and 

 tie- power used are given, whilst short comparisons with 

 other measures and notes regarding the probable character 

 and motion are generally added. 



NO. 1888, VOL. 7$) 



