Andrew Cooper
Sep 28, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

Brilliant white, a 5.8 magnitude 1.5" companion not visible

Captain William Henry Smyth
Feb 17, 1831    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A close double star, on Orion's right shoulder. A 5, bright white; B 7, pale white. This elegant object was discovered by ♅., and his observations compared with late results seemed to show a retrograde motion in the angle of position; but this has not been confirmed by the latest measures. It was considered too difficult for the five-foot equatoreal by H. and S., in 1822; and their measures were therefore cautiously advanced. Nor did H. place reliance on his angle, 214°33', taken afterwards with the seven-foot telescope. I therefore re-attacked it under every favouring circumstance in 1839, and place pretty good confidence in the results obtained. The other observations are:

    ♅.  Pos. 217°50'  Dist. 1".0±  Ep. 1780.06
    Σ.       203°45'        1".04      1830.96
   [WDS       44°           1".30      2017   ]

A line from the leading star of Orion's belt carried towards β Tauri, passes 32 Orionis at rather more than 6°, where it will be seen just to the eastward of Bellatrix.

― 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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