Andrew Cooper
Jan 29, 2022    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

White, an 8th magnitude companion just visible 5" north, rich galactic starfield

Captain William Henry Smyth
Dec 21, 1831    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A neat double star, preceding the hip of Auriga; and about one-third down a line passed from Capella to the Hyades. A 5, pale red; B 9, light blue. Though this fine object is well defined, from the disparity of size in the pair, it is not at all of the easiest measurement: yet owing to the pains taken by astrometers, there are few double stars of which the results are more coincident:

    ♅.       Pos. 352°37'  Dist. 5"'50  Ep. 1779.83
    H. and S.     352°01'        7".89      1822.90
    Σ.            351°56'        6".46      1828.75
    H.            353°02         6".79      1830.96
   [WDS             5°           4".70      2019   ]

The star nf this object, 5 Aurigae, has been found to be a most delicate double star by Professor Struve—with the giant Poulkova refractor, of 14.93 inches aperture—the components being 6th and 10th magnitudes, and 1½" apart: it should be remarked, however, that the acolyte is Σ.'s 10th, which in some cases cannot be estimated at less than my 15th.

― 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