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No. 23 was also observed at Copenhagen (356° + 30° +→→ 341° 18°, 1 Magnitude).

No. 28 was also observed at Copenhagen (290° + 57° + > 273° 42°, 2).

No. 77 was also observed at Copenhagen (248° + 40° +→ 254°27°, 1 Magnitude).

These three meteors give the following results:

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NOTE. This paper was accompanied by a drawing of five phases of the occultation of Jupiter by the Moon on 1896, June 14. The drawing is not reproduced here. The radius of Jupiter is taken as 9 mm. 2.5 mm. were obscured at 10h 42m 50; 8.3 mm. at 10 43 10; 14 mm. at 10" 43" 30". The middle time is that of bisection, according to a late note from Mr. KöнL.

THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION.

PLANETARY PHENOMENA FOR MAY AND
JUNE, 1897.

BY PROFESSOR MALCOLM MCNEILL.

MAY.

Mercury is an evening star until May 20th, when it comes to inferior conjunction with the Sun. It passed greatest east elongation on April 28th, and during the first ten days of the month is in very good position for observation, not setting until nearly two hours after sunset on May 1st.

Venus is now a morning star, having passed inferior conjunction on April 28th. It is too near the Sun to be seen during the early part of the month, but its distance rapidly increases, and after May 10th it rises more than an hour before sunrise. On May 1st, there is a very close conjunction of the Sun, Moon and Venus; the Moon passes the planet at about 3 A. M., and the Sun at I P. M. Of course, both Moon and planet are too near the Sun to be seen.

Mars is still in the southwestern sky in the evening, but sets an hour earlier than for the corresponding period in April, at a little after II P. M. on May 30th. It moves about eighteen degrees east and four degrees south during the month from the constellation Gemini into Cancer. On the morning of May 25th, it passes just south of the fifth magnitude star ʼn Cancri, the nearest distance being only two minutes, but this is while they are below our horizon. During the closing days of the month it passes through the "Beehive" cluster in Cancer. The planet has nearly reached its maximum distance from the Earth, and it will not diminish very greatly in brightness before reaching its minimum. It passes aphelion on the night of May 21st.

Jupiter is also in the southwestern sky in the evening, setting after midnight. It is in the constellation Leo, and during the month it moves about two degrees east and forty minutes south. At the beginning of the month it is about two degrees east of the first magnitude star Regulus (a Leonis).

Saturn rises at about sunset in the middle of the month, coming to opposition on the night of May 17th. It moves west in the constellation Libra about two degrees during the month. At the beginning of the month it is about three degrees west of the third magnitude star ẞ Scorpii.

Uranus is quite close to Saturn, about two degrees south. It comes to opposition on the same date as Saturn, May 17th, but about twelve hours earlier. Its motion is like that of Saturn, but only about half as great.

Neptune is in the eastern part of the constellation Taurus, too close to the Sun for observation.

JUNE.

The Sun attains its maximum declination at the summer solstice, and summer begins June 20th, 8 P. M., P. S. T.

Mercury is a morning star, and reaches greatest west elongation on June 15th. It is several degrees south of the Sun, and

the conditions are not very good for visibility; but after June 10th it rises at least an hour before the Sun, and it may possibly be seen if the atmospheric conditions are very favorable.

Venus is also a morning star, and is rapidly increasing its distance from the Sun, so that by the end of the month it has nearly reached greatest west elongation. It reaches its maximum brightness early in the month, and during most of the month it can be seen in full sunlight without telescopic aid.

Mars sets about an hour earlier than during May, at about IO P. M. on June 30th. It moves about seventeen degrees east and six degrees south during the month, through the constellation Cancer toward Leo, and at the end of the month is only about two degrees west and north of Regulus (a Leonis). Its actual distance from the Earth is about twice the mean distance of the Earth from the Sun, and its brightness not far from its minimum.

Jupiter is somewhat to the east and south of Mars, and moves about four degrees east and two degrees south during June, in the constellation Leo, away from Regulus. At the end of the month it is ten degrees east and four degrees north of Mars, Regulus lying between the planets and nearer Mars.

Saturn is now well above the horizon at sunset. It moves about two degrees west in the eastern part of the constellation Libra away from ẞ Scorpii. The apparent minor axis of the ring is four-tenths that of the major.

Uranus is just about two degrees south of Saturn, and moving in the same direction, but more slowly. It is in conjunction with Saturn on June 8th.

Neptune is a morning star, quite close to the Sun.

EXPLANATION OF THE TABLES.

The phases of the Moon are given in Pacific Standard time. In the tables for Sun and planets, the second and third columns give the Right Ascension and Declination for Greenwich noon. The fifth column gives the local mean time for transit over the Greenwich meridian. To find the local mean time of transit for any other meridian, the time given in the table must be corrected by adding or subtracting the change per day, multiplied by the fraction whose numerator is the longitude from Greenwich in hours, and whose denominator is 24. This correction is seldom much more than 1". To find the standard time for the

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