ASTRONOMICAL NOTICE. 



[_Read Sej)temler, 1872, ly H. C. Etjssell, Government Astronomer.'] 



Ik going over the known double stars near the south pole, I 

 have recently found the following, which are not in Herschel's 

 or any other catalogue in the library, and are therefore probably 

 new double stars. 



1872, July 31st. — Found a very pretty double, magnitudes 

 9 and 9^ R.A. loh. 49m. 10s.; decln._ 65° 37' 30" south; distance 

 between them 2" 12 ; angle of position 135° 47' ; mean of 6 

 measures power 230. 



July 31st. — Found, but did not measure till August 7th, 

 another double star, not so close as the last ; magnitudes 91 and 

 11 E.A. I7h. 2m. 16s, ; dec. 68° 13' 30" ; distance between them 

 3" 42 ; angle of position 200° 9 ; mean of 4 measures power 150. 



August 1st. — Found a nice double star, magnitudes 7 and 9 

 E.A. 14h. 50m. 6s.; dec. 67° 28' 30"; distance between them 

 5" 66 ; angle of position 335° 29 ; mean of 4 measures power 150. 



"When measuring Herschel's double 4909 E-.A. 16h. 55m., 

 dec. 50° 57' S., — of which he says, " a very symmetrical little 

 constellation of two large and three very minute stars forming 

 a pentagon", — I found a sixth star, quite as large as either of 

 the three small ones, which forms, with the two lai'ge stars, an 

 almost equilateral triangle within the pentagon, so conspicuour 

 that if there he could not have missed it. This must be eithes 

 a variable or a new star. 



P.S. — Since the above was published I have received a catalogue 

 of stars observed at Santiago, and find that the third one on my 

 list was observed there in 1852. Note added 26 Nov., 1872. — 

 H.C.E. 



