MARY W. WHITNEY. 245 
none standing lower except that of November, 1868, 
when it was rated as of the fifth magnitude. 
I will allude to one other variable only, which is of in- 
terest both because of its singular character, and be- 
cause it lies in a nebula. This is in Argus, too far 
south for our observation. This star has reached a 
brilliancy nearly equal to that of Sirius. This occurred 
in 1848. In 1867 it had fallen to the limits of visibility 
and soon after passed beyond it. It has not since that 
date begun again its ascent. The star lies in the central 
or more condensed portion of an extensive and irregular 
nebula, known as the ‘‘key hole nebula.” 
On August 31, 1885 the astronomical world was sur- 
prised by the announcement from Dr. Hartwig, of Dor- 
pat, that the night before a new star had been seen by 
him near the nucleus of the great Andromeda nebula. 
Hartwig had suspected a change in the nebula as early 
as August 20, buf unfavorable weather and defects in his 
instruments had prevented an earlier confirmation. He 
estimated the magnitude as about the seventh. After 
his announcement various other observers claimed to 
have seen the star at a stillearlier date. The detection 
of the new body as early as August 19, by Mr. Ward in 
Ireland is generally acknowledgea ; whereas an observer 
in Florence, Mr. Temple, who knows the nebula well, 
maintains that it was not to be seen on August 15. The 
date of the outburst, therefore, can be placed between 
the fifteenth and twentieth of August, 1885. 
The nebula in Andromeda in the midst of which the 
star lay is one of the oldest known in astronomy, since 
it is visible to the naked eye. As early as 1614 Marius 
gave that description of it so frequently repeated, that 
‘it looks like a candle light seen through horn.”’ It is 
elliptical in form. No telescope has been able to resolve 
it. Telescopes of high power show above a thousand 
stars within its area; also two dark rifts or spaces. 
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