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PHILOSOPHICAL
a Cygni
The winterobservationsof this star cannotbe materially
affectedby any uncertaintyin the maximumof aberration,.
being made nearly equallyon both sides of the time when
parallaxis greatest, and aberration=- o. But the summer
observationsbeinggenerallymadeafterthe time when aber-
ration in declination= o, the effect of a less maximumof
parallax of certainfied stars. 291
aberration is to increase parallax. I have therefore used
for my recent observations 2o"t, and corrected my former
ones, which were computed with 0o"max. of aberration;thus
using the most unfavourablequantity.
Summer Z. dist. Jan. i, i815.
|i N?. Ob.i , ,,
1811 & 1812I 23 i8 45 45,71 + ,74P
1814 1o 45,97 +,72 p
1815 so 46,s+ -- ,48 p
1817 14 45, + 68 p
67
N?. Ob.O , !
Aquile.
The stars 3 and y Aquilaepass the meridianwithina few
minutesof the passageof a Aquile; and as they are much
inferior in brightnessto that star, and differ less than 3
degrees in declinationfrom it, I consideredthat if I could
observethe three stars on the same day, the comparisonsof
the observationsin winterand summer would furnishmuch
informationrelative to the parallax of MAquilae.
As the stars pass so nearly together,there was not suffi-
cienttime to read off the three microscopesfor each observa-
tion ; I therefore,for some time,read off only the bottommi-
croscopefory, to be comparedwiththe readingof the bottom
microscopefor a, and the three microscopesfor a, giving up
the observationof 3. Afterwards,I only read off the bottom
microscopefor s, and thus was enabledto observe 3. Unfor-
tunatelyfrom the few observationsto be obtainedin October
andNovember,when the sun approachesthese stars, I have
not succeededhitherto in obtaininga sufficientnumberof
observations;but my summerobservationsappearvery satis-
factory,in agreeingwiththe result from the formerobserva-
tions of these stars, which were madein the autumnof 1813,
and with Mr. POND'S north polar distances; whereas the
summlerzenithdistanceof a Aquilaehas been uniformlyless
than the winterzenithdistanceof that star. So that,as far as
I have gone with this kind of trial,the resultshave been very
strong in favourof the parallaxof a Aquilae.As in my recent
observationsof this star, only the bottom microscopehas
been used, I have deducedresultsfrom all my formerobser-
vations of a Aquile from the bottom microscopeonly.
parallaxof certainfixed stars. 293
1Theconclusionas to the parallaxof this star does not differ
materiallyfrommy formerone, wherethe three microscopes
were used.
Summer Zenith dist. Jan. 1, 1817.
j - 1io6i
06 i
The correctmeansgive
59' 3647 - ,3 p
440=44? 59' 38,36 -,44 P
Ii,89 t
p ..... 2It5
,53
,74
or e p = 5",o by 2o8 observations.
.994 Dr. BRINKLEY
on the
a Lyrae.
The followingarethe resultsof my observationsof a Lyrae,
My former observationsare here reducedto what they
would be by the French refractions,and the other observa-
tions have been reduced,takingthe maximumof aberration
= 20o . Both circumstances tend to diminish in a small
degreethe parallax; but the result from all my observations
-
gives the doubleparallaxabove a secondless thanI should
have expectedfrom my former observations. Whetherthe
discordanceI had found was to be attributedto parallax,or
any other cause, I had expected the new results wouldnot
materially differ from my former conclusions. Although it
has happened otherwise, yet an examination of the different
results will, I conceive, be found not to contradictmy former
remarks respecting the accuracy to be attained by my
instrument.
Summer Zenith dist. Jan. i, 181 1.
b.
;N?.Ob.
18o8-1i813 65 14 46 19,3S5+ 78 p
$E 18141 20 '
19,87--,78 p
| 1815 20 19.86 + ,74
i8 i6 1t1 2o,46 + ,777p
1817 12 19,62 - ,62 p
8 ' 128; *
parallax of certainfixed stars. 295
N Ob. ,,J
1808-1813, 6i 14 46 2o,96-,79 p.
1814-1815o 20 21,00 -,78 p
18x-1i816 14 19,47-,68 p
1816-1817 15 20,88- ,76 p
:817-181i8 4 20,o6-,76
134
y Draconis.
Of this star, the mean of 53 observationsin o ,
winter gives mean Z.D. Jan. 1 1814. = 1 52 17,55
59 observations in summer give = 1 52 17,92
This r2sult is in a directioncontrary to parallax, and there-
fore had I comparedthe differences of zenith distances of this
star and a Lyrae,in summer and winter, the result would have
given me a greater parallax for a Lyrze.
This conclusion is quite opposite to that of Mr. POND, and
seems to me a point of much difficulty to be explained.
However, from the mean of my late results as to a Lyrae, I
am inclined now, to consider my former argument deduced
from 7yDraconis of less weight than I had attributedto it, not
thinking the observationsof y Draconis sufficientlynumerous.
296 Dr. BRINKLEY on the
of Trinity College,
Observatory
Dublin, Feb. 20, 818.
Note (A).
Upon examination of Dr. BRADLEY'S*account of the aber-
ration, it will appear,I think, that the maximum of aberration
deducedtherefrom,cannotbe dependedon to j of a second.
Dr. BRADLEY afterwardsmentions, in his paper on the nuta-
tion, that he had revised his computation,and states o"'as
the result nearest the truth. The result from the eclipses of
Jupiter's satellites, as deducedby M. DELAMBRE, is 0o-. The
limit of the probableerror of this latter determinationis not
easily known; but it appears to me that we ought to adopt
the result of Dr. BRADLEY'Srevision, rather than any con-
clusion we can deduce from the data in his first paper. We
have not the original observationsto refer to; and it is to be
remarked, that he puts down all the maxima of changes of
* Phil. Trans. xxxv,
637, or Old Abridg. vi, 149
parallax of certainfiwed stars. 299
declination(D-D') in seconds, without fractional parts, and
thence deduces for each star the maximum of aberration.
D -D 2a 2 af