Andrew Cooper
Oct 25, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 6 Moon: 25%

Blue-white, a 7th magnitude 1.8" companion not visible, n2 Ori is 1° northeast

Captain William Henry Smyth
Feb 28, 1830    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A close double star, on Orion's right shoulder, where it is a little more than one-third of the distance from Bellatrix to the last, or following star of Orion's belt. A 6, white; B 8, pale blue; with a distant 8th-magnitude star in the np quadrant, which must be 121 P. Hora V. This superb object is 22 ♅. I., and not of very difficult measurement, though rated as one of Σ.'s "vicinæ." The results of the former astrometers are:

    ♅.        Pos. 28°37'  Dist. 0".70  Ep. 1781.81
    H. and S.      26°11'        2".02      1822.02
    Σ.             25°35'        1".87      1831.22
   [WDS            26°           1".80      2017   

]

These results, compared with my own, indicate no change in the angle; but as ♅. says they were only half the diameter of the small star apart, the distance may possibly have increased.

― 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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