188 A CENTURY'S PROGRESS IN ASTRONOMY. 



the southern hemisphere, which is probably a 

 connecting link between variable and temporary 

 stars. The traveller Burchell, from 1811 to 1815, 

 observed the star as of the second magnitude, 

 but in 1827 he noted it to be of the first 

 magnitude. In the following year it fell to the 

 second magnitude. In 1834 Sir John Herschel 

 noted the star to be between the first and second 

 magnitude, and in 1838 it rose to the first, being 

 equal to a Centauri. After a decline, it be- 

 came in 1843 equal to Canopus, and not much 

 inferior to Sirius. Then it began to fade, and 

 in 1868 it was only of the sixth magnitude. In 

 1899 Innes estimated it as 771. Eudolf Wolf 

 suggested a period of 46 years, and Loomis 

 67 years ; but astronomers generally agree with 

 Schonfeld that the star has no regular period. 



The first temporary star of the nineteenth 

 century was discovered by Hind, in London, 

 April 28, 1848. It was of the fifth magnitude 

 at maximum, and soon after began to fade, 

 falling to the tenth magnitude. In 1860 a new 

 star appeared in the cluster Messier 80 in Scorpio, 

 and was discovered by Auwers at Konigsberg. 

 It reached only the seventh magnitude. 



On the night of May 12, 1866, a new star 

 of the second magnitude blazed out in the con- 

 stellation Corona Borealis. It was first observed 



