Andrew Cooper
Nov 9, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

Yellow, an 11th magnitude companion is visible 44" south, 60 Cet is 30' northwest

The Gaia DR2 data reveals the 12th magnitude companion shares comparable parallax and proper motion, it is likely a physical pair, or trio as 61 Cet is also a spectroscopic binary

Captain William Henry Smyth
Nov 18, 1834    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A pair of double stars, at the back of the Whale's head, and 3° to the south, a little following, of α Piscium; a line from τ Ceti through ζ carried nearly double the distance, hits 61. A 7, pearly white; B 11, greenish; C 7, white; and D 8½, blue. A and B form H V 102, which was thus first registered :

    Pos. 193°39'  Dist. 37".89  Ep. 1782.78
        [194°           43".10      2019 WDS]

which would imply a slight change in the orbited curve, but that the difficulty of the measures must be taken into consideration.

Near the following parallel, at a distance of 4m 57s, on the angular line = 102°33', is the beautiful double star CD [HD 13179], which proved to be Σ.'s 218, of which the measures previous to mine were:

S. Pos. 250°29' Dist. 4".96 Ep. 1824.92
Σ. 250°00' 4".78 1832.36
[WDS 248° 4".90 2018 ]

[The B companion appears to be physically associated with similar parallax and proper motions found in Gaia DR2. WDS lists the 12th magnitude star found at 324° and 92" as C, this is revealed as a background star in Gaia DR2.]

― A Cycle of Celestial Objects Vol II, The Bedford Catalogue, William Henry Smyth, 1844

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