363 
and positions of 36 double and triple stars, &c. 
No. XXIV. R. A. 1 7 h 4 m ; Decl. 26 0 1 8' S. 
36 Ophiuchi ; H. and S. 243. 
continued. 
transits of both stars ; Piazzi however, by a comparison of 
his own observations with those of preceding astronomers, 
assigns to them quantities, which for 1825.57 would give 
difference of R. A. (in time) 52". 50, agreeing with our determina- 
tion to 9-hundredths of a second ; hence also in R. A. as well 
as in declination, they have, if any, the same proper motion. 
If however the proper motions attributed to them be cor- 
rect, and if none be enjoyed by A of 38 Ophiuchi, the differ- 
ence of declination between 36 and 38 should be 5' 23".o73, 
differing not one second from our determination : and if the 
proper motion in right ascension attributed to 36 be correct 
(the star 38 being fixed), the difference of R. A. (in time) be- 
tween them should be 2' n".76 only fourteen hundredths of a 
second, at variance with our observations ; quantities which 
may be very fairly attributed to errors of observation. 
Hence it follows, that the two stars 36 Ophiuchi and 
30 Scorpii, although distant from each other more than 
12 minutes, are journeying together through space ; and that 
the annual proper motions (i".o756 and i".ii55 toward the 
south, and o ".59 and o''. 58 toward the west), assigned to them, 
are true. 
From the above investigation we also learn, that the star 
38 Ophiuchi has no sensible proper motion ; consequently 
the observed increase of distance between it and the small 
star,* if it exist, must probably be sought for, in some pecu- 
liarity of the latter. 
mass of his observations, (copied from the original possessed by the University of 
Oxford,) by Gael Morris, and now in the library of the Royal Society : that any 
observation of this illustrious Astronomer, “ le Modele des Observateurs” of La 
Place, and whose observations, (in the emphatic language of the same Philosopher) 
constitute “ l'epoque d’ou l’on doit partir maintenant, dans les recherches deli- 
cates de la science,” should be recorded only in perishing manuscript, is to be hoped 
in these enlightened times, will not remain long an object of regret to Astronomers. 
* Referred to in page 209. 
