4-34 Saturn's Ring. — Double Stai's. — Occultations. 



tant companion is also undoubtedly in motion, and is probably 

 connected with the others, forming a wonderful system of self- 

 luminous bodies, whose mutual relations are to us quite unin- 

 telligible. There is another smaller pair, 8 mag. s a little f, 

 followed by an 11 mag. star ; the whole making up a very beauti- 

 ful group. It may be found thus : — When /S Scorpii (No. 12) 

 is on the meridian, a remarkable pair of 3 mag. stars, S and s 

 Ophiuchi, otherwise Yecl, the hand of the figure, will be seen 

 nearly over it, almost twice as far from it as Antares. 51 Libras 

 is a little to the right, and rather above the centre, of a hue 

 joining /3 Scorpii and this pair. 



16. p Ophiuchi, 8"'8. 3°*1. 5 and 7|. Pale topaz and blue. 

 This very beautiful object, which may perhaps be in motion, is 

 finely grouped with two 7 mag. stars, 68 and 72 P. XVI., that is 

 to say, the 68th and 72nd in the XVIth hour of Right Ascen- 

 sion in Piazzas great Palermo Catalogue — pointing out two 

 angles of an equilateral triangle, of which p occupies the centre. 

 It lies 3° n from Antares, a little p. The star maps of the 

 S. D. U. K. include it in the boundary of Scorpio. 



17.36 Ophiuchi, 5"*2. 226°*1. 4^and6*. Euddy and pale 

 yellow. This is supposed to be a binary pair, and the larger 

 star has been thought variable : when I observed it (1854*34), 

 it certainly was but little brighter than its companion. A 7| 

 mag. star forms with it a triple group. It appears certain that 

 it has a motion through space, in the same direction, and to the 

 same amount, with 30 Scorpii, which is more than 13' distant 

 nf. Should this indicate a real connection, how marvellous an 

 instance is before us of influence exerted through distances 

 which human faculties refuse to comprehend, and where we can 

 only wonder and adore ! This pair is due E. at a considerable 

 distance from Antares, nothing conspicuous intervening, with a 

 brighter star, Ophiuchi, nf, about 2 3 distant. 



18. 39 Ophiuchi, 12"*1. 356°*2. 5± and, 7^. Pale orange 

 and blue, 1838*52. Sestini called the companion yellow in 

 1846*5 : Smyth's review made it bluish in 1851*4, and I entered 

 it " clear blue " three years later. This beautiful pair, which 

 shows no movement, is 1° n p from (see last No.) Near it was 

 the wonderful New Star of 1604, discovered Oct. 10th, at 

 Prague, by Kepler's pupil, Bronowski, and seen by Kepler on 

 the 17th. It was white, and more brilliant than the brightest 

 stars or even planets, Venus alone excepted ; but when it re- 

 appeared as a morning star at the end of the year, it had already 

 begun to diminish ; it continued to decay through 1605, and 

 never came round in the morning again, nor has any trace of 

 it been since recovered. Only two phenomena of the kind have 

 recurred since the invention of the telescope, and both were 

 far inferior; one near /3 Cygni was only 3rd mag., and Mr. 



