112 RECORD OF SCIENCE FOR 1886. 



again begins to take place. In this manner the phenomena of many 

 variable stars may perhaps be accounted for." 



Dr. von Kovesligethy observing with a 7-inch Merz eqimtorial at the 

 observatory of Baron Podmaniczky at Kis Kartal, in Hungary, an 

 nounc^eil tlie re-ai)pearance of the Nova on September 26, 188G. From 

 this date he found that it became more star-like, and up to the evening 

 of October 2 both nucelus and new star were visible. From October 

 2 to October 17 the old nucleus was invisible. By October 23 the nu- 

 cleus had assumed its normal state, but the new star was not seen. 

 A number of telescopes were immediately turned upon the nebula, but 

 in the main failed to detect the changes suspected. {ISee Astron. Nachr., 

 2750-2752.) It is probable that the object seen was one of the very 

 faint points of light known to exist near the nucleus of the nebula. 



A very complete series of observations of JVova Andromedie is given 

 by Dr. Copeland, of the Dun Echt Observatory, in the Monthly No- 

 tices for December, 188G. 



Catalogue of colored stars. — ]\Ir. W. S. Franks has presented to the 

 Itoyal Astronomical Society a catalogue (not printed, ai)parently) of 

 1,730 colored stais situated between the pole and —20° of declination, 

 and including all stars down to the 0.-5 magnitude. The introduction 

 to this catalogue, giving a tabular analysis of the colors recorded, is 

 published in the Monthly Notices for April, 1886. 



We should niention also a list of thirty-one prominent colored stars of 

 the southern hemisphere i)ublished by Mr. A. S. Williams in the Astro- 

 nomical Kegister for October. 



Mr. Chambers stated at the meeting of the Eoyal Astronomical So- 

 ciety on March 12, 1886, that he was preparing a catalogue of red stars. 



STELLAR PHOTOMETRY. 



PJiotometric ohservations at Harvard College Observatory. — Professor 

 Pickering, in his annual report, states that 59,800 separate photometric 

 comparisons were made with the meridian photometer in 1886. The in- 

 strument has been found to give entire satisfaction both in tlie accuracy 

 and the rapidity of its work. Various tests have been applied to de- 

 tect the presence of systematic errors, but so far with negative results. 

 "A comparison of the seven hundred stars common to the observations 

 of Wollf, Pritchard, and the Harvard Photometry, showed that our re- 

 sults differed on the average from Wolff, after allowance for systematic 

 differences, by 0.140 of a magnitude; from Pritchard by 0.145; while 

 Wolff' and Pritchard differed from each other by 0.192. A comparison 

 of the tifty tive stars proposed by Professor Pritchard as standards, anti 

 measured by him on several nights, showed that the average deviation 

 from the Harvard Photometry was only 0.104. - - - A comparison 

 between the results obtained at Pulkowaand Cambridge shows that the 

 average deviation of a measurement of the difference in brightness l»e- 



