Transactions 1898
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TRANSACTIONS OF T H E Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, FOR THE YEAR 1898 INCLUDING NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. P RICE On e dollar. TORONTO: ROWSELL & HUTCHISON, Printers to the Society. 1899. TRANSACTIONS OF T H E Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, FOR THE YEAR 1898 INCLUDING NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. PR I C E 0 N E D O LLA R. TORONTO: ROWSELL & HUTCHISON, Printers to the Society. 1899. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. Officers ........................................................................... .................................................. V Council ........................................................................... .................................................. V Life Members................................................................... ................................... V Honorary Members........................................................ ................................. vi Corresponding Members..................................... ........ ................................. vi Active Members and their Addresses .......................... ................................. vii Associate Members ........................................................ ................................. ix Affiliated Societies ........................................................ ................................. ix Report in re Lantern Slides........................................... ................... Howell. 1 Historical Sketch of the Greenwich Nautical Almanac ..................Lindsay. 2 Testimonial to retiring President . , ............................ ................................ 10 Theories of M. Triboulet................................................. ................................ 11 Unification of Time ........................................................ ................................ 12 Observations of Mira .................................................... Hadden and Libert. 14 Seismological Phenomena............................................... ................... Stupart. 16 Black Aurora;................................................................. ................Shearmen. 18 Experiments in Colour ................................................. ..................... Elvins. 19 Observations..................................................................... ..............Wadsworth. 21 Popular Lecture ............................................................ ..................... Baker. 22 November Meteors.......................................................... ................... Hunter. 23 Naked Eye Observations ............................................... ..................... Brown. 26 Historical Sketch of the Greenwich Nautical Almanac ................. Lindsay. 27 Portrait of Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, D.D........................ ................................ 38 Discussions in re People’s Observatory........................ ..............................40, 60 Theories of M. Deslandres ........................................... ....... The President. 41 Our Atmospheric Ocean ................................................. ....... .... Denison. 42 A Popular Astronomical Observatory ........................ ................. Lumsden. 44 Visit to the Yerkes Observatory .......................... ................... Musson. 63 Unification of Time ...................................................... ................................ 69 The Meteor of July 5th ................................................. ................................ 71 Great Sun-spot of September 4-15.................................. ..................... Elvins. 78 Ancient Theories of Motion and the Cosmos ............. ................... Musson. 79 Sun-spot of September..................................................... ................... Hadden. 89 The Muskoka Skies.......................................................... ................. Paterson. 90 The Magnetic Observatory at A gincourt..................... ................... Stupart. 93 The Expected Meteors of November, 1898 ............. ................. Meredith. 95 Observation of Leonids ................................................. ............................... 106 Popular Lecture ............................................................ .....................Shortt. 107 Annual Report ................................................................ ................................ 110 IV The Astronomical and Physical Society o f Toronto. P resident’s Address :— Obituary, E. A. Meredith, LL.D.............................................................. 113 Planet DQ ................................................................................................... 114 Meteor of July 5th, 1898............................................................................. 117 The Leonids ............................................................................................... 122 Variation of Latitude ...................................................... 125 Earthquakes ................................................... 127 Solar Phenomena........................ 129 Cometary Phenomena................................................................................. 136 The Aims of the Society............................................................................. 138 Correction for Schaeberle Aberration...........................................Collins. Appendix. The Meaford Astronomical Society.......................................................... Appendix. [Authors are alone responsible for views expressed in papers or abstracts of papers published in the Transactions. ] The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. Officers, 1899. Honourary President,—The HON. G. W. ROSS, LI..D., F.R.S.C., Minister of Education of the Province of Ontario. President,— ARTHUR HARVEY, F.R.S.C., Etc. R. F. STUPART, Director Toronto Magnetic Observatory and Superintendent of the Dominion Meteorological Service. V ice-Presidents,— {C. A. CHANT, M.A., Lecturer in Physics, University of Treasurer,-CHARLES P. SPARLING, 76 King Street East. Toronto. Corresponding Secretary,—G. E. LUMSDEN, F.R.A.S., 57 Elm Avenue, Rosedale. Recording Secretary and Editor,—THOS. LINDSAY, 58 Richmond Street E. Librarian,—W. B. MUSSON, 145 Howland Avenue. Assistant Librarian,—Z. M. COLLINS, 172 Borden Street. Director of Photography,—D. J. HOWELL, Saturday Night Building. Otber Members of Council. Ex officio: Elected: LARRATT W. SMITH, D.C.L., Q.C., J. R. COLLINS. Ex-President. G. G. PURSEY. ANDREW ELVINS, Ex-President. A. T. DeLURY, B.A. JOHN A. PATERSON, M.A., Ex-President. REV. C. H. SHORTT, M.A. Life M embers. ANDREW ELVINS, Esq., 12 College Street, Toronto. LARRATT W. SMITH, Esq., D.C.L., Q.C., 96 Summerhill Avenue, Toronto, Ex-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Toronto. LADY WILSON, Spadina Crescent, Toronto. VI The Astronomical and Physical Society o f Toronto. Honourary Members. SIR ROBERT STAWELL BALL, Kt., M.A., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Lowndean Professor of Astronomy, King's College, Cambridge, England. WM. HENRY MAHONEY CHRISTIE, C.B., M.A., F.R.S., F.R. A.S., Etc., Etc. Astronomer Royal, Greenwich, England, GEORGE HOWARD DARWIN, M.A., LL.D. (Glasgow), D.Sc. (Dublin), Dr. Phil. Nat. (Padua), F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, England. A. M. W. DOWNING, D.Sc., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac, Verulam Buildings, London. SIR SANDFORD FLEMING, G.C.M.G., LL.D., Etc., Etc. Chancellor of Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. PROFESSOR EDWARD S. HOLDEN, LL.D., For. Asso. R.A.S., Etc., Etc., New York, U.S.A. SIR WILLIAM HUGGINS, K.C.B., D.C.L. (Oxon.), LL.D. (Cantab. Edin. et Dubl.), Ph.D. (Lugd. Bat.), F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Hon. F.R.S.E., Etc., Etc., Cor. L’Institut de France, 90 Upper Tulse Hill, London, S.W., England. JAMES EDWARD KEELER, D.Sc., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director of the Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, Cal. SAMUEL PIERPOINT LANGLEY, LL.D., For. Asso., R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Secretary of The Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. JOSEPH MORRISON, M.A., M.D., P h.D., Etc., Etc., Washington, D.C. PROFESSOR SIMON NEWCOMB, LL.D., For. Asso., R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Cor. L'Institut de France, Etc., Etc., Washington, D.C. PROFESSOR EDWARD CHARLES PICKERING, LL.D., For. Asso., R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. M. OTTO STRUVE, For. Asso., R.A.S., Late Director of the Imperial Observatory, Pulkowa, Russia. Corresponding Members. E. E. BARNARD, M.A., D.Sc.. F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Yerkes Observatory, William’s Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A. JOHN A. BRASHEAR, D.Sc., F.R.A.S., Allegheny, Penn. S. W. BURNHAM, M.A., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Yerkes Observatory, William’s Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A. MISS AGNES M. CLERKE, 68 Redcliffe Sq., London, S.W., England. W. F. DENNING, F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Bishopston, Bristol, England. THE REVEREND T. H. E. C. ESPIN, M.A., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director of the Wolsingham Observatory, Tow Law, Darlington, England. J. ELLARD GORE, F.R.A.S., M.R.I.A., Etc., Etc., Ballysodare, Ireland. The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. vii PROFESSOR G. E. HALE, D.Sc., F.R. A.S., Etc., Etc., Director of the Yerkes Observatory, William’s Bay, Wisconsin, and of the Kenwood Physical Observatory, University of Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. M. PAUL HENRY, For. Asso., R.A.S., The Observatory, Paris, France. J. H. KEDZIE, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. W. F. KING, C.E., D.L.S.,