OCCULTATIONS OF FIXED STARS BY THE MOON, VISIBLE AT GREENWICH.

OCCULTATIONS OF FIXED STARS BY THE MOON, VISIBLE AT GREENWICH.

The Angles are reckoned towards the right hand round the circumference of the Moon's image as seen in an inverting telescope. For direct image, take the opposite points; that is, in numbers, add or subtract 180°. The Angles from North Point and Vertex" will also indicate the position of the meridian; thus, if the larger angle be that in the left-hand column, the objects will be situated on the left of the meridian; and vice versa. The "Sidereal Times" are given for the use of those having observatories and astronomical Sidereal clocks. General readers will take the times of "disappearance" and "reappearance" from the columns headed "Mean Time," and they will bear in mind that they are always counted from noon. When the time stated is less than 12h it therefore denotes the time in the afternoon: when it exceeds the 12h, by rejecting the 12h the remainder will indicate the time on the following morning; and, in each case, according to Greenwich mean time, which is now uniformly exhibited by railway and public clocks in the United Kingdom.

MEMORANDA FOR NEXT YEAR, 1878.

N.B. As towards the end of the year, or even earlier, information concerning the coming year is often wanted, we give a synopsis of the information most required:1878 I.-Beginnings of the Months and Sundays in 1878.

10

A TABLE OF THE DURATION OF MOONLIGHT AFTER SUNSET AND
BEFORE SUNRISE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 1877.

This Year 1877 is the First after Bissextile.

ECLIPSES, &c., IN 1877.
meter

VENUS will be a morning star until May 7, the time of her superior conjunction with the Sun; and she will be an evening star after that date.

MARS will be in opposition to the Sun on September 5.
JUPITER will be in opposition to the Sun on June 19.

SATURN will be in opposition to the Sun on September 9. The splendid rings of the planet, from change of position with respect to the earth, are almost closed, and they will eventually disappear for a time in the course of the year 1878, after which the opposite sides will become visible.

This table shows the versed sines of the bright portions of the telescopic discs in parts of the apparent diameters of the planets.

Nors.-In Great Britain, at all places, Greenwich or Railway time is used in common, so that the eclipses of the Moon will not require any correction for longitude.

IN THE SEVERAL COUNTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES.

By the Act 1 Will. IV. c. 70, it is enacted that "in the year 1831, and afterwards, the Justices of the Peace in every county, riding, or division, for which Quarter Sessions of the Peace by law ought to be held, shall hold their general Quarter Sessions of the Peace in the first whole week after the 11th October, in the first week after the 28th of December, in the first week after the 31st of March, and in the first week after the 24th of June." The following list has been computed according to this rule.

The Act 4 and 5 Will. IV. cap. 47, allows a discretionary power to the Justices of Peace as to the time of holding the Spring Quarter Sessions, and empowers them to alter the day for holding the Sessions, so as not to be earlier than the 7th of March, nor later than the 22nd of April. The dates given below are, therefore, only provisionally fixed, and may be altered.

BEDFORD-TU. Jan. 2, April 3, July 3,
Oct. 16.

BERRS-M. Reading, Jan. 1, April 2,
July 2, Oct. 15, Dec. 31.
BUCKS-M. Aylesbury, same as Berks.
CAMBRIDGE Cambridge County, F.
Jan. 5, April 6, July 6, Oct. 19.
CHESHIRE M. as Berks; at Chester, Jan.

and July; at Knutsford, April and Oct. CORNWALL-Bodmin, Tu. same as Bedford. CUMBERLAND-Tu. as Bedford, at Carlisle. DERBYSHIRE-Derby, Tu. same as Bedford. DEVONSHIRE Exeter, Tu. same as Bedford, and Feb. 13.

DORSETSHIRE-Dorchester, Tu. same as

Bedford.

DURHAM-M. same as Berks.

ELY, Isle of Wed. as Norfolk, at Wisbech,
Jan. and July; at Ely, April and Oct.;
adjourned to March, on Tu. Feb. 13,
May 8, Aug. 14, and Nov. 13.
ESSEX-Chelmsford, Tu. as Bedford.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE-Gloucester, Tu. as Bed.
HAMPSHIRE-Winchester, M. as Berks.
HEREFORDSHIRE-Hereford, M. as Berks.
HERTFORDSHIRE-Hertford, M. same as
Berks; also on Wed. Jan. 3, July
4. St. Alban's, Tu. as Bedford; also
on Th. April 5 and Oct. 18.
HUNTINGDONSHIRE
same as Berks.
KENT-Maidstone, Th. Jan. 4, April 5,
July 5, Oct. 18. Canterbury, Tu. in
the same week.

Huntingdon, Mon.

LANCASHIRE-Lancaster, M. as Berks; Preston, following Wed.; Salford, following Mon.; Kirkdale, Tu. week following.

LEICESTERSHIRE-Leicester, M. as Berks.

LINCOLNSHIRE

Parts of Lindsey-Lincoln, F. Jan. 5,

April 6; July 6; Oct. 19. Spilsby, Tu. Jan. 9, April 10, July 10, Oct. 23. Parts of Kesteven-Bourn, Tu. Jan. 2, July 3. Sleaford, Tu. April 3, Oct. 16. Spittlegate, Tu. Jan. 16, April 17, July 17, Oct. 30.

Parts of Holland-Boston, Mon. as Berks. Spalding, Th. as Kent. MIDDLESEX-General or adjourned Sessions are held at least twice a month at the Sessions House, Clerkenwell, usually on the alternate Tuesdays; and adjourned Sessions are also held at Westminster (Broad Sanctuary). The LONDON Sessions are held four times a year at the Guildhall. The Tower Liberty

Sessions are held eight times a year at the Sessions House, Wellclose-square. MONMOUTHSHIRE-Usk, T. as Bedford. NORFOLK Shire House, Norwich, W.

Jan. 3, April 4, July 4, Oct. 17, adjourned to Swaffham following Wed. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE- Northampton, W. as Norfolk. Peterborough, following day. NORTHUMBERLAND Newcastle-on-Tyne,

W. Jan. 3, Morpeth, April 4, Hexham,
July 4, Alnwick, Oct. 17, Berwick, on
previous Friday
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE-Nottingham, M. as
Berks. Newark, M. April 9, Oct. 22.
(Annual Sessions. F. Jan. 12.) East
Retford, M. Jan. 8, July 9.
OXFORDSHIRE-M. as Berks.
RUTLANDSHIRE Oakham, Th. as Maid-
stone (Kent).

SHROPSHIRE-Shrewsbury, M. as Berks.
SOMERSETSHIRE-Tu. Taunton, Jan. 2,
July 3. Wells, April 3, Oct. 16.
STAFFORDSHIRE-Stafford, M as Berks,
except Tu. in April, as Bedford.
SUFFOLK- - Ipswich, Th. as Maidstone
(Kent), adjourned to Bury on following
Tuesday.

SURREY-Newington, Tu. as Bedford.
SUSSEX Eastern Division: Lewes, M.
same as Berks. Western Division:
Petworth, Th. Jan. 4, and April 5.
Horsham, July 5. Chichester, Oct. 18.
WARWICKSHIRE-Warwick, Tu. as Bed-
ford; Coventry, Th. as Maidstone (Kent).
WESTMINSTER-City, are generally held
on the Thursday preceding the Quarter
Sessions for Middlesex.

WESTMORLAND - Thursday as Kent,
Appleby, Jan. and July, Kendal, April
and Oct.
WILTSHIRE-Tu. Devizes, Jan. 2. New
Sarum, April 3. Warminster, July 3.
Marlborough, Oct. 16. [as Berks.
WORCESTERSHIRE- Worcester, M. same
YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING: Beverley, Tu.
as Bedford. WEST RIDING: Leeds,
M. Jan. 1. Sheffield, Th. Jan. 4. Wake-
field, M. April 2. Bradford, M. July
2. Rotherham, Th. July 5. Wake-
field, M. Oct. 15. Doncaster, Th. Oct.
18. NORTH RIDING: Northallerton,
Tu. as Bedford. City same as Berks.
The Quarter Sessions through NORTH and
SOUTH WALES are held by the same rule
as the foregoing, the magistrates deter-
mining the day of the week on which
the Sessions shall commence.