According to elements by Dr. SMART, the comet will be closest to the Earth on May 20th, when its distance will be 14.300,000 miles. There is considerable probability that the Earth will pass through the tail on May 18th. H. D. CURTIS. GENERAL NOTES. The Copley Medal of the Royal Society has been awarded to Dr. G. W. HILL for his researches in mathematical astronomy. "Dr. HILL's work in the branch of astronomy that is farthest removed from popular view, and his exacting application of the higher mathematics to problems requiring the most rigid and complicated demonstration and proof, have done much. to facilitate recent progress and to place that progress upon a sure basis." A Bright Meteor.-On December 12th at 6:40 P. M., Pacific Standard Time, a very brilliant meteor was seen by Miss NELLIE FORD and Miss MARJORIE DRISCOLL, students in general astronomy at Stanford University. It appeared about ten degrees west of the Pole Star, moved very slowly westward and disappeared behind the western hills after being visible about half a minute (possibly exaggerated). The meteor was many times brighter than l'enus, and its trail was visible for the whole length of its path for ten or fifteen seconds after the meteor disappeared. S. D. T. The library of the late Professor NEWCOMB has been purchased by Mr. JOHN CLAFLIN for the College of the City of New York. Under a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific passed July 13, 1907, the by-laws of the Society, together with the statutes governing the bestowal of the Bruce Medal and the rules relating to the Donohoe Comet-Medal, have been reprinted in this number of the Publications. Amendments to the by-laws made since they were last printed in 1897 have been incorporated. Dr. KARL SCHWARZSCHILD, professor of astronomy at Göttingen, has been appointed director of the Astrophysical Observatory at Potsdam. NEW PUBLICATIONS. Annales de l'Observatoire Royal de Belgique. Tome XII. Fascicule I. Les co-ordonnées absolues des étoiles déduites des feuilles héliogravées de la Carte du ciel. Correction de la position et diamètre de Mercure déduits des observations de contact effectuées lors du passage du 15-14 Novembre 1907. Observations faites au cercle méridien de Repsold en 1908. Observations solares effectuées á Uccle en 1908. Bruxelles. 1909. Folio. 307 pp. Paper. Annuarie pour l'an 1910 publié par le Bureau des Longitudes. Paris. Avec des Notices Scientifique. 24°. 834 pp. paper. Annuario del Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de Tacubaya parael año de 1910. Mexico. 1909. 16. 602 pp. Paper. Astronomische Beobachtungen auf der Königlichen Universitäts-Sternwarte zu Königsberg. Abteilung 42. Rektaszensions-Beobachtungen von 4066 Sternen. Angestellt von FRITZ COHN. Königsberg. 1909. Folio. 355 PP. Paper. BEMPORAD, A. L'Assorbimento selettivo della radiazione solare nell'atmosfera terrestre. Roma. 1909. 4°. III PP. Paper. BALCELLS, P. MARIANO. L'Observation solaire. Mémoires de l'Observatoire de l'Ebre. No. 2. Barcelone. 1909. 4°. 133 pp. Paper. ENEBO, SIGURD, Beobachtungen veränderlicher Sterne. Kristiania. 1909. 8°. 60 pp. Paper. JONES, HARRY C., and ANDERSON, JOHN A. The absorption spectra of solutions. Washington. 1909. 4°. 110 pp., with 81 plates. Cloth. KOCH, JOHN. Dispersionsmessungen an Gasen im sichtbaren und im ultraroten Spektrum. Upsala. 1909. 4. 60 pp. Paper. Meddelanden från Lunds Astronomiska Observatorium. Serie II. Lund 1909. 4°. Paper. No. 5. Über die Bewegung der Bahnebenen der Satelliten in unserem Planetensystem. C. V. L. CHARLIER. 35 PP. No. 6. Sur une classe de singularités dans le problème de n corps, par HENRIK BLOCK. 57 PP. Neue Annalen der K. Sternwarte in München. Band IV. Katalog von 1436 Sternen, hauptsächlich Zenitsternen. München. 1909. Folio. 242 pp. Paper. Perth Observatory. Vol. 3. Meridian Observations 33° to 35 south. Epoch 1900. Cloth. Perth. 1909. Folio. Folio. 59 PP Série II. Vol. Publications de l'Observatoire Central Nicolas. XVIII, III. Beobachtungen am grossen Zenitteleskop. Paper. St. Pétersbourg. 1908. Folio. 66 PP. Publikationen der Kaiserlichen Universitäts-Sternwarte zu Jurjew. (Dorpat.) A. ORLOFF. Graphische Methode zur Auswahl der Sternpaare für die Breitenbestimmung nach der Methode. gleicher Zenitdistanzen. E. SCHOENBERG. Sternbedeckungen durch den Mond beobachtet in den Jahren 1905-09. Beobachtungen des Jupiter am Zenittelescop im März 1908. Dorpat. 1909. Folio. 24 pp. Paper. Mitteilungen der Grossh. Sternwarte zu Heidelberg. Karlsruhe. 1909. 8°. XV. Die Bahnen der am 3 August und am 28 September, 1905, erschienenen hellen Meteore. P. MOSCHICK. 32 PP. XVI. Doppelsternmessungen am zwölfzölligen Refraktor des Astronomisches Instituts. 59 pp. XVII. Helligkeitsmessungen von lang periodischen Veränderlichen. 97 pp. The tidal and other problems. T. C. CHAMBERLAIN, F. R. MOULTON, and others. Washington. 1909. 8°. 264 pp. Paper. Solar eclipse expedition to Flint Island, January 3, 1908. F. K. MCKLEAN and others. Suffolk. Folio. 18 pp., with 15 plates. Cloth. ZINNER, E. Über die sekularen Störungen im planetarischen Rotationsproblem. Lund. 1909. 8°. 25 pp. Paper. |