33® Mr. South’s re-examination of the apparent distances 
No. XI. R. A. n h 9 m ; Decl. 32 0 33' N. 
£ Ursas majoris ; I.a; H. andS. 122. 
continued. 
Mean Result. 
Position 2 5 0 28' sp (55 Obs.) ; Epoch 1825.22 ; 
Distance 2".442 (15 Obs) ; Epoch 1825.25. 
In taking the mean the distances of March 20 are rejected ; 
if not rejected, the mean of the 25 observations will give 
distance 2". 2 73. 
Nothing can be more satisfactory than the confirmation 
these observations afford of the rapid motion ascribed to this 
remarkable star. In the interval of 1.97 year since the 
Epoch 1823.29 the motion has amounted to no less than 
13° 65 ' , in the direction np sf, or — 7°.o25 per annum. The 
sudden diminution of velocity is however not confirmed. 
Indeed it rested on too short an interval, and on too few ob- 
servations (for such very close stars) to deserve great confi- 
dence. We cannot do better than recommend this star for 
the next 10 or 20 years to the constant and careful measure- 
ment of astronomers ; nor can we too strongly inculcate here 
the indispensable necessity of multiplying extremely their 
measures of position, to eliminate those errors of judgment 
to which the most experienced observers are liable in mea- 
sures of this sort. This done, there is no doubt of our arriv- 
ing at a precise knowledge of the elements and position of 
the orbit described by each about their common centre of 
gravity ; and the question of the extension or non-extension 
of the Newtonian law of gravity to the sidereal heavens — 
the next great step which physical astronomy has yet to 
make — will be effectually decided. (H.) 
