The Year's Weather-Variable Star Algol-Celestial Objects, de. 483 Furness; on 12th, 1'08 at Roche's Point; on 13th, 1'12 at Nairn. Thunderstorms occurred on 2nd, ard, and 4th in south-east England. A gule on 9th was most severe on the west and north-west coasts. Atmospheric pressure ranged between 915 inches on 9th and 30'6 on 16th. Bright sunshine varied between 47 per cent. in the Channel Isles and 25 in north-east England. October. The weather was very mild generally. The highest temperature, 80°, was recorded at Cambridge on 4th; the lowest, 29°, at Brookeborough on 22nd. The first part of the month was very fine, dry, and exceptionally warm, especially in south and south-east Eng-, land. Rain was over-abundant in the south and deficient in the north. On 3rd, 104 inch of rain fell at Valencia; on 12th, 1'56 at Barrow-inFurness; on 15th, 1'10 at Mullaghmore, 1'74 at Belmullet, 137 at Parsonstown, roo at Pembroke; on 16th, 1'23 at Stornoway; on 20th, oʻ99 at Cambridge. Atmospheric pressure ranged between 28'5 inches on 16th, and 30'5 on 25th. Thunderstorms occurred on 6th, roth, 19th, 20th, and 21st. A tempest of extraordinary severity and destructiveness prevailed on 15th to 17th inclusive, embracing the whole of these islands. Bright sunshine varied between 35 per cent. in north Scotland and the Channel Isles, and 17 in east Scotland. The Variable Star Algol (Beta Persei). THIS is one of the most noteworthy variable | 4th mag. It continues at this minimum about stars in the heavens: its magnitude oscillates between 2'3 and 4'5, and its period is 2d. 20h. 43. 54'7s. The star is commonly a little fainter than 2nd mag., and remains so for ad, 13., when it rapidly declines in lustre, and within some 31⁄2 hours becomes less than 15 minutes, when it suddenly acquires greater brilliancy, and in 3/21⁄2 hours assumes its ordinary magnitude. The following are the times of minima in 1887. Between April and July the star is not favourably visible, being immersed in the twilight low on the northern horizon:-- Summary of Celestial Objects and Ix compiling a statement of the more important astronomical events which may be expected in 1887, we refer only to such phenomena as may be definitely predicted. There are many attractive objects for observation during every year which are not capable of eing exactly precomputed and announced. This relates to certain comets and meteor showers, to the outburst of temporary stars such as that which occurred in the great nebula of Andromeda during the latter part of August, 1885; to displays of Aurora Borealis; to isolated large meteors, called fireballs, and other phenomena of diversified character, which are always attractive subjects for observers. Though occurrences of this nature are to a certain extent erratic, there are many others, regulated by conditions which are now so well understood that the times of their apparition may be correctly assigned, and it is chiefly to these we wish to direct attention. Occultations. The temporary hiding of bright -tars by the moon affords extremely interesting views for small telescopes. During 1887 there will be several occultations of this class that may be well observed. The first magnitude star, Aldebaran, or Alpha Tauri, will be occulted n no less than four occasions, viz., Jan. 7, Phenomena for Observation, 1887. March 2, July 17, and October 7, and the times are specified in another part of this Almanack. On October 13 the bright star, Regulus, or Alpha Leonis, will be similarly obscured, and other dates furnish analogous phenomena in reference to minor stars. A telescope is requisite in witnessing them, and the observer will probably be surprised at the suddenness with which the stars disappear on coming up to the Moon's limb. In the case of bright stars they may be traced with the naked eye until close to the margin of our satellite, when, however, they become overpowered by the glare, and a glass must be brought into use in order to observe the actual disappearances : Planets. Mercury may be observed under favourable circumstances at the end of February and during the first week in March. The planet will be shining brighter than a star of the first magnitude, and twinkling perceptibly amid the vapours circulating near the horizon. The intending observer should look towards the western horizon about an hour or more after sunset, and there is every probability he may succeed in detecting this object. At the end of June Mercury again emerges into view as an evening star. For a week or so at the middle of August, and again at the beginning of December, the planct will be conspicuous near the eastern horizon in the mornings about an hour or so preceding sunrise. Venus will become a resplendent object in the summer months as an evening star, and in the autumn and winter months will be equally brilliant in the morning sky. This planet arrives at greatest E. elongation on July 13, and at greatest W. elongation on December 2; and on August 16 and October 28 attains a very high degree of brilliancy. During the first half of the year Venus will present a gibbous phase, but in July and the four succeeding months will be crescented in varying degree, according as her position with respect to the Sun changes. On September 21 this planet comes to inferior conjunction with sun. Mars will appear in the morning sky during the later months of the year, but he is not thoroughly well placed at any time. The planet will be a somewhat diminutive object in a telescope, as his apparent diameter is less than 8 seconds. On August 28 Mars and Saturn will be close together, the distance separating them being less than one degree. The study of areographic features must be left to the early months of 1888. Jupiter will be a fine object during the first half of the year, but his declination being some 11 degrees south of the equator, observations of his surface cannot be continued with so much effect as during the few previous years. This planet arrives at opposition to the sun on April 21, and will be in conjunction with the sun on November 9. He will be very near Mercury at the end of November and beginning of December. Numerous changes occur on the large disc of this planet. They are probably of atmospheric character, though some of the markings distinguished show a striking degree of permanency. The great red spot, which became well visible in July, 1878, is still to be seen, and there are brilliant white spots involved with the equatorial belts which are well worthy of study. The observer will also find agreeable entertainment in the phenomena attending the revolution of the four satellites. The position of the planet is in Libra. Saturn comes to conjunction with the sun on January 9, and will be a conspicuous object in Gemini during the first few months of the year. The luminous rings may be viewed under most favourable conditions, though they are not so widely open as during the few preceding opposi tions. Early in January the planet's diameter reaches 186 seconds. In the summer months he will be practically invisible, but emerges from the sun's rays in September, and during the last quarter will be in good aspect, chiefly as a morning star in Cancer. Uranus may be observed during the first half of the year. His position is in Virgo, about 3 degrees S. of the equator, and on March 31 he will be in opposition with the sun. This planet is visible to the naked eye on a dark night as a faint star, and in a telescope his small disc of 4 secs. diameter can be well perceived. On Nov. 24 he will be only 1 degree S. of Venus. Neptune, the minute telescopic planet, must be looked for, if at all, in the autumnal months, as he reaches opposition to the sun on November 21. It is a fact worthy of special comment that all the major planets of our system will be visible in the morning sky at the early part of Decem ber. An observer who surveys the firmament before sunrise at this period will find it very rich in bright stars and planets. It is only at long intervals that all the leading planets are thus presented to view at the same time. Shooting Stars.-These phenomena should be expected on the following dates, when it is most essential that careful observations he secured. Though no conspicuous displays may take place in regard to the November showers, it is necessary to be prepared for such an event:-Jan. 2, April 19-20, July 27-30, August 9-11, Oct. 18-19, Nov. 13-14, Nov. 26-27, and Dec. 9-12. Large Comets. The following is a table of some of the largest comets observed during the present century:— Radiant Points of Meteor Showers. Tais branch of astronomical inquiry has made considerable advances during the last quarter of a century. The great meteoric storm of November 13, 1866, aroused general attention, and the result of investigation has shown that these phenomena are probably allied to comets, being, in fact, minute planetary bodies revolving in streams of countless atoms around the sun. The elements of some of their best-determined orbits have been found to absolutely coincide with certain periodic comets, and the name of cometoids is occasionally, and no doubt properly, applied to those shooting stars which, it is fair to assume, have a definite cometary origin. The appearance of numbers of these bodies in regular showers is well explained on the theory that the earth, during her orbital revolution, intersects cometary orbits (as proved in the case of the Lyrids, Perseids, Leonids, and Andromedex); and these orbits are more or less replete with disintegrated and dispersed cometic materials, which, entering our atmosphere with great velocity, are rendered combustible as the effects of concussion. They may either be gaseous, stony, or metallic in their constitution; in any case they are presented to the eye as luminous objects in rapid motion, and are immediately consumed and frittered into harmless dust, which slowly and imperceptibly subsides upon the earth's surface. Only in exceptional cases, where these 485 bodies are of large size and formed of hard compact materials, can they penetrate the dense under-layers of our atmosphere and (still retaining much of their native condition) fall bodily upon the surface of the earth. Every shower of meteors has a radiant pointin other words, a centre whence the individual flights are successively directed. If the apparent paths are accurately observed and projected on a celestial globe, it will be found that they converge (like the spokes of a wheel) upon a central point. This marks the focus of the shower, and as there are many of these radiant points in action on the same night, it is difficult to ascertain them with great precision, for an attentive and prolonged vigil will reveal shooting stars having every conceivable direction of motion athwart the firmament. Several hundreds of well-marked showers have now been ascertained as the result of assiduous observation, but the extended durations of many of these are difficult to reconcile with theory. Amongst English astronomers we owe much in the elucidation of these phenomena to the labours of Prof. Herschel, Lieut.-Col. Tupman, Messrs. Greg, Glaisher, Denning, and others. Coma Berenicids. 244+15 y Herculids.. a Serpentids Herculids.. T Draconids. 233+11 255+38 249+51 275+34 to April-May 227 5 11 April 29-May 6.. 326-2 12 May 232+27 13 May-June 262+64 n Pegasids Ophinchids a Cassiopeids A Andromedes 23 August 8-23 24 August 9-11 25 August 21-23.... 26 August 21, Sept. 21 292+70 27 Aug. Sept.-Oct. 28 Sept. 15-Oct. 2... 29 Sept. 21-Oct. 5... 30 October 17-20 31 October.. 32 Oct.-Nov. 33 November 2-3 .. 35 November 13- -28 62+37 73+41 31+18 90+15 29+ 8 108+23 55+ 9 149+23 155+40 63+22 25+43 46+55 117+32 107 +33 o Draconids & Draconids Orionids Leo Minorids n Perseids Geminids ... Rich shower,9°NNW.8 Bootis Greg & Herschel. 11 meteors per hour in 1869. Tupman. 4°-21° Ap. 30, May 7'86 (D.) Neumayer. 159 meteors. In autumn also Heis. Well observed in 1886.. Heis & Denning. THE following is a general catalogue of the elements of recent cometary orbits. We have confined the table to comets which have appeared since 1850. In addition to the principal elements, the dates of discovery and names of discoverers are given : 1851, II. July 9, 3 322 56 148 25 13 55 1851, III. Aug. 26, 5 310 58 1851, IV. Sep. 30, 19 338 46 1852, I. Mar. 14,-18 157 51 1852, II. April 19, 15 278 42 317 29 49 II 1852, III. Sep. 22, 23 109 8 245 51 1852, IV. Oct. 12, 15 43 12 346 13 1853, I. Feb. 24, O 153 44 69 34 20 13 10919 R 1853, II. May 9, 20 201 45 09087 R Brorsen Klinkerfues Encke Hartwig Hubbard Marth Hartwig • Rümker 1853, III. Sep. I, 17 310 58 140 31 61 30 03067 D 1853, 1854, IV. Oct. 16, 14 302 7 56 39 I. Jan. 2, 17 II. Mar. 24, o 213 49 III. June 22, 2 272 58 1854, IV. Oct. 27, 9 94 20 Bruhns 1854, V. Dec. 15, 17 165 9 238 8 14 9 13575 D Adam 1855, I. Feb. 5, 1 226 38 Thiele 4 1851, Aug. 1 Brorsen. 1851, Oct. 22 Brorsen. 1852, Jan. 9 Hind. 1852, May 15 Chacornac. 1852, Aug. 25 Secchi. 1852, June 27 Westphal 1853, Mar. 6. Secchi. 1853, April Schweitzer. 1853, June 10 Klinkerfues. Bruhns 1853, Sep. 11 Bruhns. Klinkerfnes 1853, Nov. 25 Van Arsdale, Mathieu 1854, Mar. 24 Many Obs. Bruhns 1854, June 4 Klinkerfues. 1854, Sep. 11 Klinkerfues. 1854, Dec. 24 Colla. 1855, April 11 Schweitzer. D'Arrest 1855, II. May 30, 5 237 36 260 15 23 7 0'5678 R 1855, III. July 1, 5 157 53 334 26 Encke 1855, July 13 Maclear. 1855, IV. Nov. 25, 9 Bruhns. 1857, I. Mar. 21, & 1857, II. Mar. 28, 16 1857, III. July 17, 23 0 3675 R 1857, IV. Aug. 24, O 21 47 200 49 32 46 07468 D D'Arrest. 1857, V. Sep. 30, 19 250 21 Bruhns 1857, VI. Nov. 19, 2 44 13 1857, VII. Nov. 28, 20 323 3 148 27 13 56 1*1696 D Schulze 1858, I. Feb. 23, 8 115 29 268 54 1857, Mar. 18 Bruhns. 1857, June 22 Klinkerfucs. 1857, July 25 C. H. Peters, 1857, Aug. 20 Klinkerfues. 1857, Nov. 10 Donati. 1857, Dec. 51 Maclear. 1858, Jan. Tuttle. 4 1858, II. May 2, I 275 40 113 31 10 48 0'7683 D Hänsel 1858, Mar. 8 Winnecke. 1858, III. May 2, 8 195 59 1858, May 2 Tuttle. 1858, IV. June 5, 4 226 6 324 21 80 28 1858, May 21 Bruhns. 1858, V. Sep. 13, 22 1858, Sep. 8 Bruhns. 1858, VI. Sep. 29, 23 1858, June 2 Donati. 1858, VII. Oct. 12, 19. 1858, VIII. Oct. 18, 9 157 57 334 29 1859, May 29, 5. 75 21 357 21 1860, I. Feb. 16, 17 173 45 324 3 1860, II. Mar. 5, 17 50 16 13 4 83 32 79 35 8 56 48 13 1860, III. June 16, 1 161 32 1860, 1861, 1861, 1861, 1862, I. June 3, 10 243 22 29 56 II. June 11, 12 249 5 278 59 III. Dec. 7. 3 173 30, 145 6 I. Feb. 6, 4 158 O 1862, II. June 22, 1 299 20 1862, III. Aug. 22, 22 344 41, 137 26 1862, IV. Dec. 28, 4 125 II 355 46 1863, I. Feb. 3, 12 191 23 1863, II. April 4, 22 247 15 1863, III. April 20, 21 305 31 09207 D 85 26 08225 D 41 57 08391 R 13 5 0'3399 D 7 54 o'9813 R 66 25 o'9626 R 08032 R o'7948 D 67 22 10682 R 249 59 85 29 06284 D 1863, IV. Nov. 9, 12 94 43 97 29 78 5 07066 D IV. Sep. 28, 7 111 59 104 14 28 14 o'9537 R 84 4T 79 19 1'4270 R 0'3407 D 0'2010 R 1'1973 D 13083 D 0'2929 D 79 46 Oppolzer 334 31 326 33 Kreutz Pape Encke Seeling Oppolzer 1860, June 19 1860, Oct. 23 1861, April 4 1861, May 13 1861, Dec. 28 1861, Sep. 23 1862, July 1860, Feb. 26 1860, April 17, Rümker. Many Ohs. Tempel. Thatcher. Tebbutt. Tempel. Liais. Förster, I Valz. 1862, July 15. Swift. 42 29 116 56 85 22 251 16 Krahl Raschkoff 1863, April 11 Klinkerfues. 1862, Nov. 30 Bruhus. Respighi. Respighi. Oppolzer Valentiner 1863, Nov. 4 Tempel. 1863, Dec. 28 Respighi. 8 105 2 83 19 13131 D 175 II 44 56 06140 R 95 15 31 45 1864, 203 13 1864, 1865, 1865, 1866, 1866, IV. Dec. 22, 11 321 43 I. Jan. II, 3. 60 28 231 26 II. Feb. 14, O 50 о 209 45 II 22 1'6822 D 1 52 0 9093 70 18 09311 R 48 52 07709 D 17 7 11145 R 87 32 0'0260 R 13 4 0'3410 D 17 18 o'9765 R R Rosén Celoria Kowalczyk 1864, July 4 1863, Oct. 9. Bäcker. 1864, Sep. 9 Donati. Tempel. V. Asten 1964, July 23 Donati. Tietjen 1864, Dec. 15 Bäcker. Engelmann 1864, Dec. 30 Bruhns, Tebbutt IV. May 10, 8 319 7 146 7 15 43 13180 D Leveau 1877, July 9 1877, 1878, 1878, 1879, 1379, 1880, 1880, IV. Nov. 8, o 1877, V. June 27, 2 81 2 VI. Sep. 11, 10 107 38 250 59 1879, 1280, 1880, 184 17 102 16 78 11 13 7 13919 D 0'3329 D Plummer 12 46 13397 D 0 5899 D V. Asten 1877, Oct. 45 46 72 58 08966 R Kremser 1879, June 16 78 46 09913 R Hartwig Palisa 8 9897 D 356 17 36 52 00060 R W. Meyer 257 15 56 56 18143 R 45 19 38 6 0 3546 R 296 51 5 23 10671 D V. Nov. 9, 10 261 4 249 23 60 42 06596 D 1'7382 D 77 58 0'5912 D 270 58 63 26 07345 D 97 3 39 46 06336 R 6 50 07259 D 274 10 67 11 0'4492 R 1881, VII. Nov. 15, 2 158 30 334 34 12 53 03433 D 1881, VIII. Nov. 19, 14 63 31 181 18 35 10 1'9262 R 1. June 10, 13 53 56 204 56 73 49 0'0608 D II. Sep. 17, 6 276 25 346 38 o I 0'0077 R III. Nov. 13, o 354 48 249 7 83 51 09554 R 3 278 8 78 3 07600 D R 9 47 17694 D Gautier 32 22 72 15 1879, April 24 1879, Aug. 21 Borrelly. (Holden & Tuttle. Coggia. Swift. Tebbutt. Tempel. Tempel. Swift. Tempel. Hartwig. Palisa. I 2 77 II 20 Bossert I. Feb. 18, 23 29 J. Mayer 1880, Feb. 4 2 Gould. Schäberle. Hartwig. Swift. Pechule. Common. Swift. Tebbutt. Schäberle. ct. 4 Denning. 1883, Feb. 231 Ross. |
