Andrew Cooper
Apr 19, 2023    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

White, a 2" 10th magnitude companion not visible, Smyth notes a 9th magnitude companion 210" @ 312°, by modern measure this is an 11th magnitude 4' @ 313°, Smyth also notes the color of this companion as "livid", ascribing color to an 11th magnitude star in a 6" telescope seems a bit of a stretch.

Andrew Cooper
Feb 20, 2020    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 61x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 6 Moon: 0%

White, no companion noted

Captain William Henry Smyth
Apr 16, 1832    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A star with a distant companion, in the head of Hydra. A 4, light topaz; B 9, livid—several other stars in the field. The alignment for δ Hydræ is described in the detail of the preceding object [HD 72946]. I was led to a particular scrutiny of this star from an impression which obtained, that a gentleman had detected a comes close to A, that is, within 2". Now, as the discovery was stated to have been made with a 5-foot telescope, I may, with my means, safely pronounce it to be an error. [WDS does list a 10th magnitude 2.6" companion discovered in 2002]

― 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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