Mr. J. Norman Lookyer. On the New Star in Auriga. 407 



February 4, 1892. 

 Mr. JOHN EVANS, D.C.L., LL.D., Treasurer, in the Chair. 



The Right Hon. Farrer Herschell, Baron Herschell, was admitted 

 into the Society. 



A List of the Presents received was laid on the table, and thanks 

 ordered for them. 



The following Papers were read : 



I. "On the New Star in Auriga. Preliminary Note." By 

 J. NORMAN LOCKYER, F.R.S. Received February 4, 1892. * 



From a note in * The Times ' of Wednesday, February 3rd, I learnt 

 that a new star had been discovered in the constellation Auriga, and 

 that photographs had been obtained at Greenwich on Monday night. 



Observations were therefore impossible here before last night. This 

 is much to be regretted, and suggests that some local organisation is 

 needed to further quick transmission of news to observing stations 

 relating to phenomena which may change in a few days or even 

 hours. 



Last night was fortunately fine, and two photographs were taken 

 of the spectrum : 



h. m. 



The ] st exposed 1 30, from 7.30 to 9 



The 2nd 3 9.30 12.30 



The first registered thirteen lines; the second appears to contain 

 some additional ones, but they are very faint and have not yet been 

 measured. 



A complete discussion of these photographs will form the substance 

 of a subsequent communication, but already the following approxi- 

 mations to the wave-lengths have been obtained, the photographs 

 being treated absolutely independently, means, however, being taken 

 for the four least refrangible lines, as there has not yet been time to 

 construct a proper curve for this region. 



I have recently taken up the question of stellar spectra, and find 

 that a 6-inch object glass, with a prism in front of it, is all that is 

 required for the brighter stars. This instrument was employed upon 

 the nova, which is of about the 5th magnitude, so the exposures were 

 necessarily long. 



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