Andrew Cooper
Oct 14, 2023    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Pale orange, an 8th magnitude companion visible 6" south-southeast

Captain William Henry Smyth
Jan 26, 1832    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A delicate double star, under the nf bend of the river, at one-fifth of
the line which the eye carries from γ Eridani to γ Orionis, or nearly 6°
from the former, where it is so insulated as to be readily identified.
A 5, full yellow; B 11, deep blue—and nearly points to an llth-magni-
tude in the sf quadrant. This elegant object was discovered by ♅. in
January, 1785, but not having taken any measures he did not publish it
till he gave the 145 New Double Stars in 1821. By Σ.'s observations
it was thus:

    Pos. 152°12' Dist. 6".28 Ep. 1833.14
   [WDS  143°          6".40     2015   ]

A movement is attributed to 39 Eridani, to the following amount:

    P.... RA +0".07  Dec. -0".17
    Br...    +0".10       -0".12
    B....    +0".03       -0".05
   [Gaia DR2 -0".008501   -0".162465]

― 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.

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