Occupation of a Star. 213 



FROM ADMIRAL SMYTH TO MRS. SOMERVILLE. 



CRESCENT, BEDFORD, March 262/t, 1836. 



MY DEAR MADAM, 



Knowing the great interest you take in sidereal 

 astronomy, of which so little is yet known, I trust it will 

 not be an intrusion to tell you of a new, extraordinary, 

 and very unexpected fact, in the complete occultation of 

 one " fixed" star by another, under circumstances which 

 admit of no possible doubt or equivocation. 



You are aware that I have been measuring the position 

 and distance of the two stars y 1 and y* Virginis, which 

 are both nearly of similar magnitudes, and also, that they 

 have approximated to each other very rapidly. They were 

 very close last year, and I expected to find they had 

 crossed each other at this apparition, but to my surprise 

 I find they have become a fair round disc, which my 

 highest powers will not elongate in fact, a single star ! 

 I shall watch with no little interest for the reappearance 

 of the second y. 



My dear madam, 



Your truly obliged servant, 



W. H. SMYTH. 



This eclipse was also seen by Sir John Herschel at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, as well as by many astrono- 

 mers in Europe provided with instruments of great 



