SOLAR AND STELLAR PROPER MOTIONS. 155 
Table I. 
Division. 
Magnitude. 
Distance from 
sun. 
1 
1 
1.00 
2 
1.2, 
2, 
2.3 
1.71 
3 
3.2, 
3, 
CO 
2.57 
4 
4.3, 
4, 
4.5 
3.76 
5 
5.4, 
5, 
5.6 
5.44 
6 
6.5, 
6, 
6.7 
7.86 
7 
7.6, 
7 , 
7.8, 8 
11.34 
Using the proper motions of 113 stars from Main’s Cata¬ 
logue, the author found the coordinates of the solar apex to 
be, according to the first supposition, R. A. 256° 51'; Dec. 
+ 39° 29': according to the second supposition, 261° 29' and 
+24° 44'. 
From the equations formed under the first supposition, 
the angular value of the solar motion was found to be 1".27, 
and from the second supposition 1".91. 
These values of the solar motion were so much larger than 
that found by Struve, that the author was disposed to cast 
grave doubts upon the accuracy of the assumed law of dis¬ 
tances for the stars, and- observed, 1 It may be, therefore, 
that we have in point of fact been using, as stars at the 
average distance of stars of the sixth magnitude, stars whose 
distance is little greater than that of stars of the first mag¬ 
nitude.’ This remark emphasizes the weak point in every 
discussion of the solar motion. 
In 1863, Mr. Edwin Dunkin 21 gave to the R. A. S. the re¬ 
sults of a very careful investigation of the direction, and the 
amount, of the solar motion. 
He followed the same methods in his work as those em¬ 
ployed by the Astronomer Royal, but used the data from 
21 Dunkin, Edwin. Mem. Roy. Ast. Society, xxxii ; 19. 
