Captain William Henry Smyth
Jan 15, 1832    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A fine double star, on Castor's right heel; very nearly in mid-distance of an imaginary line between Castor and Bellatrix, where it is the northern member of a trapezium of small stars. A 6, flushed white; B 8, bluish, the latter being Piazzi's No. 99, Hora VI. This object is classed twice over by Sir William Herschel, being 52 and 56 ♅. V.; Flamsteed erred in its entry, as shown by Mr. Baily, and it was mistaken by Mr. Taylor, at Madras, for 17 Geminorum, which is among the non inventa of Piazzi. Both stars were well determined at Palermo, by repeated observations; and as they had been the cause of such repeated inadvertencies, I gave A a more than usual attention with the meridional instruments. A careful comparison of the results impresses a belief, that the proper motion in RA is inappreciable; but that a slight annual movement in declination actually exists. [Gaia EDR3 data reflects high proper motion at RA -31.857 Dec -45.171mas/yr] The micrometric measurements afford presumptive proof that they are relatively unaltered:

    ♅.    Pos. 210° O0' Dist. 32".65 Ep. 1782.08
    H. and S.   204° 39'       32".69     1822.10
   [WDS         202°           24".70     2019   ]

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

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