Abstract
VARIABLE STARS.—(I). On the 19th of June, 1822, during the visibility of Encke's comet in the southern hemisphere, Rümker, who was then at Paramatta, N.S.W., compared the comet with a star which he judged to be between the fourth and fifth magnitude, but could not find in any of the catalogues. The sun set at Paramatta on this evening at 4h. 58m., and the comet was observed from 6h. 3m. to 6h. 46m. mean times, or from an altitude of 20° to 11°. An experienced observer as Rümker then was would not be likely to make any great error under these circumstances in estimating the magnitude of his comparison-star. Olbers in July 1824 first directed attention to it, as probably a remarkable variable star. He noted its occurrence in Harding's Chart as a seventh magnitude, and supposed it was inserted from an observation by that astronomer, who, as is well known, compared his maps with the sky; and further, he pointed out that it had been observed by Bessel in his sixty-third Zone, 1822, March 14, and then estimated also of the seventh magnitude. Rümker determined the position of his uncatalogued star, by reference to three neighbouring ones found in the “Histoire Céleste,” and it agrees almost precisely with that given by Bessel's Zone. This object is No. 134 in Santini's Catalogue (Decl.— 2°), where it is again estimated a seventh magnitude. It does not occur in Argelander's “Uranometria,” but we find it in the catalogue to Heis's Atlas as a 6.7. In the excellent chart of the seventh hour of R.A., by Fellöcker of Kremsmünster, forming one of the series prepared under the auspices of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, we find it marked only of 8.9 magnitude. There is consequently sufficient evidence upon record to justify the appearance of this star in our catalogues of suspected variables, even if it be not considered decisive as to variability. Yet the object seems to have been generally overlooked of late years. We are nevertheless able to state that in 1873 and 1874 sma11 fluctuations of brightness could be detected, and may recommend it to the attention of observers who are more especially interested in the variable stars. The position for the commencement of the present year is in right ascension, 7h. 23m. os., and polar distance, 91° 39′. A star of 9.10 magnitude precedes it about 4 seconds in R.A., and about 1′ north. The colour is a full yellow or light orange.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Our Astronomical Column . Nature 11, 269–270 (1875). https://doi.org/10.1038/011269e0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/011269e0