JULV 20, 1905] 



NA TURE 



279 



OUR ASTROXOMICAL COLUMN. 



The Solar Activity. — The " maximum " character of 

 the present solar-activity epoch is being well maintained 

 bv the frequent appearance of large groups of spots. 

 Observations made on July 6 showed two medium sized 

 spots coming round the eastern limb, and as this group 

 travelled across the visible disc it developed considerably. 

 On July 13 it formed a large and somewhat scattered 

 group of which the roughly estimated extent was about 

 100,000 miles, and which could be readily seen by the 

 properly protected naked eye. On July 10 this group was 

 followed by a much more striking, although somewhat 

 less extensive, group, consisting of two exceedingly well 

 defined and large nuclei surrounded by well marked 

 penumbra' and smaller spots. On July 14 both groups 

 were readily observable with the naked eye, this being 

 the second occasion during the present year on which two 

 naked-eye groups have been on the solar di'-c simul- 

 taneously. 



Single groups of this character have occurred four or 

 five times since the first appearance of the large group in 

 Februarv. The accompanying reproduction shows the 



forms and positions of the spots at 11-45 ''•'"■ "" Thursday 

 last, and has been taken from a photograph secured with 

 the photospectroheliograph of the Solar Physics Observ- 

 atory, South Kensington, the primary slit being adjusted 

 on the continuous spectrum instead of on anv special 

 line. 



.\ Projection on .Mars. — .\ telegram from Prof. Picker- 

 ing, published in No. 4030 of the Astronomische Nach- 

 richti'ii, announces that on July 2 Mr. Lowell discovered 

 a projection on the terminator of Mars. The object was 

 situated near to Propontis, its position angle being 19°. 



It may be remembered that in the first Bulletin issued 

 from his observatory Mr. Lowell described a projection 

 on the terminator of Mars, discovered by Mr. Slipher on 

 May 25, 1903, its position angle varying from 204° to 

 200°. In that case the observations led to the suggestion 

 that the projection was in reality a cloud of dust some 

 300 miles in extent which was travelling over the planet's 

 surface at about 16 miles per hour (see Natl'rf,, No. 1763, 

 vol. Ixviii., p. 353, 1903) 



Observations of Perseids. — Intending observers of the 

 coming Perseid shower will probably find Mr. Robert 

 Pole's account of his 1904 observations, published in 

 No. 6, vol. xiii., of Popular Astronomy, of interest. 

 During a total watch of 6h. 41m. on the nights of 

 August 6, 9, 10 and 12, Mr. Dole, observing at Flagstaff, 

 Arizona,' saw 123 Perseids and 100 shooting stars, the 

 horary rate of the Perseids being about !8-5. August 11 

 and 13 were completely cloudy, and consequently the 

 observer was unable to determine the period of maximum 



of the shower. Some thirty of the apparent paths of the 

 Perseid meteors were plotted, and are shown on a chart 

 accompanying the paper. 



The French Eclipse ExrEurriONS. — Thanks to the 

 liberality of the French Government and the activity of 

 .M. Loewv and his colleagues, French astronomy will be 

 worthilv represented amongst the expeditions which are 

 going to Spain, Algeria, and Tunis to observe the coming 

 total eclipse of the sun. 



Observers from the Paris and Besancjon observatories 

 will establish themselves near to Cistierna, in Leon, MM. 

 Deslandres and Rayet are going to Burgos, whilst M. 

 Andre (Lvons) will observe the eclipse at Tortosa. 



The munificence of M. Bischoffsheim will enable the 

 observers from Nice to carry out their programme on the 

 coast near to Alcala, a station selected by M. de la Baumc 

 Pluvinel. 



M. Tripled (Algiers) intends joining M.M. St(^phan and 

 Borrellv (Marseilles) at (.uelma, .\lgeria, where MM. 

 Nordm'ann and Salet (Paris) and MM. Bourget and 

 Montangeraud, of the Montpellicr Observatory, will also 

 be located. M. Bigourdan will go to Sfax, where he 

 intends to make actinometric observations with a Violle 

 actinometer. 



The director of the Paris Municipal Observatory, M. 

 Jaubert, will also endeavour to make actinometric observ- 

 ations from the balloon Ceiitaure, which is to ascend from 

 Constantine, and a second Violle actinometer will be set 

 up at that place for taking readings on the ground. 

 Thermometric observations will be made on the ground 

 and from a balloon at the Eiffel Tower, whilst actinometric 

 observations will also be carried out at the Pic du Midi 

 Observatory. 



.A Remarkable .Meteor. — An unusually splendid meteor 

 was observed by Dr. G. Johnstone Stoney on July 13. 



The object was seen to traverse the eastern sky at 

 oh. 56m. a.m., and presented the appearance of an 

 intensely bright and pure white globe having a diameter 

 equal to about one-sixth of that of the moon. The meteor 

 travelled in a N.E. direction along a path which sloped 

 downwards, and which was nearly parallel to a line join- 

 ing a point midway between a and $ .Andromedze and 

 6 Persei at a distance from that line of about 12° measured 

 along a great circle towards the south. 



Dr. Stoney was not able to see the whole of the path 

 followed by this brilliant object, but he saw it for some 

 ^0° or 35°, and estimates that his determination of the 

 direction mav be 2° or 3° in error, and of the distance of 

 the apparent path from the reference stars, perhaps ±2°. 



THE SOCIETY OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 



'THE annual general meeting of this society was held 

 at University College on iVIonday of last week. The 

 council reported a total membership of 4326, an increase 

 of 192 compared with the same period last year. It re- 

 ferred to the very successful meeting of the society in 

 America last year, and to the pleasure felt at the visit 

 to England of its .American president, and a considerable 

 contingent of .American and colonial members. Statistics 

 were furnished as to the number of original papers read 

 before the various sections of the society, and reference 

 made to the efforts of the society and its members during 

 the vear in connection with the use of duty-free alcohol 

 for manufacturing and other trade purposes. The report 

 of the hon. treasurer, .Mr. S. Hall, indicated the continued 

 prosperitv of the society, though the cost of the journal 

 had appreciablv increased. 



Mr. Gordon Salamon, chairman of the London section, 

 next offered a welcome to the members of the society, and 

 especiallv to the .American and colonial members, on their 

 assembling in London. The president then delivered his 

 address. 



Dr. W. H. Nichols, after expressing his obligations to 

 Prof. Edward Divers, F.R.S., who had acted as deputy 

 president during the greater portion of the year, alluded 

 to the extension of the .American membership of the society, 

 which had been marked during his year of office by the 



NO. 1864, VOL. 72] 



