Abstract
DOUELE STARS.—Dr. Doberck, of Markree Observatory, has published a first approximation to the elements of ζ Aquarii, on measures between 1781 and 1870, in which long interval, however, the angle of position has only changed 45°—a case where very great latitude must be allowed to any orbit that may be deduced. Dr. Doberck fixes the peri-astron passage to 1924.15, and assigns a period of revolution of upwards of 1,500 years. The latest measures we have met with are those of Nobile, taken at the Observatory of Naples in November 1873, giving the angle 335°.5, or 3°.4 greater than that calculated.—There appears now a probability that the smaller component of 44 Bootis has passed its greatest apparent distance from the primary several years since: if good measures of distance have been made this year, they ought to be sufficient to enable us to pronounce definitely upon this point. That this star forms a true binary there can be no doubt, though it is Sir W. Herschel's measures in 1781 and 1802 alone, that afford conclusive evidence of the physical connection of the components. Thus we might represent the measures between Struve's earliest in 1819 and the present time by the formulæ
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 12, 330–331 (1875). https://doi.org/10.1038/012330b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/012330b0