764 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
note. By the last of the month it will be near the Sun and only visible for a 
few minutes during the evening twilight. 
Jupiter and Mars will be close together on the ist and both will pass the 
meridian in the evening twiUght. The first to pass will be Jupiter, at 7:24 P. M. 
followed by his ruddy companion in forty minutes; their elevation at transit will 
be 72°, both are decreasing in size and brilliancy. The moons of Jupiter will be 
a very attractive feature of this planet's phenomena during this month; over 
forty transits, occultations, eclipses, etc., will be visible at different times from 
.Kansas City. 
Uranus will be in a fine position for evening observers; it will be in R. A. 
iih. 44m. on the ist, declination north 2° 33', it will retrograde 4m. in R. A. 
during the month. On the evening of the 7th the Moon will be a few degrees 
south of this planet. 
Neptune will be very close to the Sun, too near to be observed. It will be 
occultated by the Moon on the 26th. 
The Moon will pass 5° south of Mercury on the 26th at 8:00 o'clock in the 
evening, the evening of the 27th will find her near Saturn ; the 28th near Venus, 
and the 30th Jupiter, and the next evening Mars. 
VELOCITY.— I. 
EDGAR L. LARKIN. 
If a mass be let fall, it will be found at the end of one second to be mov- 
ing with a velocity of 32.106 feet per second. Since gravity causes the motion, 
this velocity becomes a measure of the earth's attraction. The force of gravity 
on the surface of a sphere is equal to the quotient of its mass divided by the 
square of the radius. The mass and radius of the earth are each equal to i ; the 
mass of the Sun is 333,426 and radius 109.44. Hence, — for respective gravities 
on the earth and sun : 
The Earth, =1 divided by the square of i=i-r-i=i. 
The Sun, =333,426 divided by the square of 109.44=333,426-7-11,978= 
27.836516. 
Therefore, — a stone dropped on the sun's surface will acquire at the close 
of a second, a velocity=32. 106X27.836516=893.75 feet=.i6927 of a mile per 
second. This falling velocity is that motion generated in bodies let fall from an 
elevation not exceeding a few miles from the solar surface. 
The question arises, how great velocity would be displayed by masses ap- 
proaching the sun from immense distances such as planetary distances. One 
might ask with what velocity would a cosmical mass make impact on the sun 
upon arrival from some solitude beyond the solar system, say from a space half 
way to the nearest star, or 10 trillion miles. Since imagination has no limit, 
