Andrew Cooper
Nov 12, 2023    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

2 Pup is a lovely binary, a pair of 6th magnitude white stars separated by 17", HR 3010 is 6.0 magnitude situated to the southwest while the 6.8 magnitude HR 3009 is the northeastern star, the 5th magnitude 4 Pup is visible 10' northeast, the stars are 55' east of the rich cluster M46 in rich galactic starfield

Captain William Henry Smyth
Mar 14, 1836    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A neat double star over the Argo's stern, where a line from Arneb through Sirius, and as far again to the east, will meet it intersected by a ray from Castor over Procyon. A 7, silvery white; B 7½, pale white; and another star in the nf quadrant. This fine object is 91 ♅. IV., and Nos. 204 and 205 of Piazzi's Hora VII. It was measured by ♅. thus:

    Pos. 339° 12' Dist. 17".38 Ep. 1782.78
   [WDS  340°           16".70     2019   ]

whence its fixity seems to be established, the increase of distance supposed by H. and S. not being confirmed by my observations, their result being 19".66. From Piazzi's mean apparent place for 1800, the space between these stars was 17".50.

― 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