Captain William Henry Smyth
Dec 2, 1834    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A delicate double star, on the wing of the Hero's right ankle, if one of the talaria may be so called. A 6, pale white; B 10, ash-coloured. This is 39 ♅. III., being registered in September, 1781, but without measures, except one estimated distance of about 15". "We are, therefore, indebted to Σ. for the first micrometrical observation, as follows:

    Pos. 237°.0  Dist. 19".77  Ep. 1828.15
   [WDS  244°          19".80      2010   ]

The identity of this star has created some little confusion, since several astronomers, among whom are even Flamsteed and Piazzi, have designated 38 and 40 Persei under the letters ο¹ and ο²: but Mr. Baily has shown, in his edition of the British Catalogue, that 40 Persei is the "parvula supra ο" in the Historia Cælestis; and that 38 Persei is the Greek 'ο μικρον, while the other is the English o of Bayer.

It may be found by running a line from Algol a little to the westward of the Pleiades, and it will pass over 40 Persei at something more tban half the distance. It is also struck by a ray carried from the cluster in the sword of Orion, over Aldebaran, and extended a little more than as far again.

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

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