DOUBLE STARS 



169 



apply a further test, suggested by the form of the light 

 curve. It is not a difficult matter to determine by 

 geometry what this form should be, under the assump- 

 tions of the relative sizes and brightnesses of the stars 

 that we have been compelled to make, and it is actually 

 represented by the continuous curve in fig. 14. It will 



Calculated 

 Observed 



be seen at once that this is very far from corresponding 

 with the observed curve, which is introduced in the same 

 figure for the sake of comparison and is represented by 

 the dotted curve. The observed maxima are more, and 

 the observed minima are less, sharply defined by observa- 

 tion than they are predicted by the theory, so far as we 

 have developed it up to the present. 



