Andrew Cooper
Aug 18, 2021    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

Brilliant white, a 7th magnitude 2" companion not visible

Captain William Henry Smyth
Nov 7, 1831    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A second-grade Greenwich star, in the Whale's mouth, and closely double. A 3, pale yellow; B 7, lucid blue, the colours finely contrasted. With my instrument this beautiful object is certainly not so very difficult to measure, as the above discordancies would indicate; so leaving the unravelment of the anomaly to future inquiry on comparing my results with those of Σ. H. and D., I consider its fixity established. The amount of proper motion through space assigned to A, has been thus valued:

    P....  RA -0".35  Dec. -0".20
    B....     -0".11       -0".16
    A....     -0".13       -0".17
   [Hipparcos -0".14610    -0".14612]

The Arabian astronomers applied the name of Kaff-al-jidhma, the maimed hand, to a group of stars forming the Whale's head; and which, though limited by Ideler to α Cet, δ Cet, λ Cet, μ Cet, and ξ Ceti, has been latterly applied exclusively to γ Cet. There are vestiges shewing that the Orientals had a large asterism here in very early times, probably before Cepheus and the Ethiopian plague were thought of. A line from β Andromedae through β Arietis, the centre of the three stars in the Ram's head, points nearly upon γ Ceti at about 25° beyond, or as far again; and it is nearly in mid-distance between Algenib and Rigel.

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

Drawings, descriptions, and CCD photos are copyright Andrew Cooper unless otherwise noted, no usage without permission.

A complete list of credits and sources can be found on the about page