Captain William Henry Smyth
Sep 17, 1838    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A delicate and very difficult double star, on the animal's hind hoof; and about two-thirds of the distance from α Persei towards δ in the head of Auriga. A 5, white; B 13, orange; and they point to a third star in the sp quadrant, of the 12th magnitude. It is No. 610 of Σ., whose measures gave:

    Pos. 238°32'  Dist. 25".647  Ep. 1831.57
   [WDS  240°           25".90       2012   ]

There was apparent evidence of a considerable amount of proper motion in this star, but it has almost disappeared before the accurate observations, and discriminating comparisons, which have latterly plied it; these are the assigned values:

    P....  RA +0".14  Dec. -0".03
    B....     +0".03        0".00
   [Hipparcos -0".02451    +0".00771]

Camelopardus is a large but indifferent constellation of recent formation, occupying the vast sporadic space between the Pole-star, Perseus, and Auriga. It was introduced by Bartschius, on his four-foot globe, and is said to have been reluctantly retained by Hevelius; who, though he did prefer plain to telescopic sights, yielded only to Flamsteed in diligence and accuracy of observation, among the astronomers of his day: at all events the Camelopard is not among the new constellations which Hevelius is offering to Urania and her choice staff, in the elaborate frontispiece to his Atlas. The animal is fairly delineated in his map, although its very existence was, even after that epoch, questioned. He assigned it 32 stars, which Flamsteed increased to 58, and Bode to 211.

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

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