Abstract
THE VARIABLE STAR R AQUARII.—Harding notified his discovery of variability in this star in 1811, in the first volume of the Zeitschrift für Astronomie. The earliest attempt to determine the period appears to be that of Westphal, in the Zeitschrift für Astronomie, vol. iv. p. 218; he used Harding's observations between October 20, 1811, and January 19, 1817, which, though not numerous, sufficed to give an approximate value, while they also indicated that the star at times was as bright as 6.7 m., and at others was invisible in Harding's telescope. Westphal's period is 382.5 days. Although the variability of the star has thus been long known, it would seem that few of these objects have been less observed, and it may be recommended to the attention of those who are interested in this branch of astronomy, and whose positions enable them best to command a star at 16° south declination. In vol. vii. of the Bonn observations, Argelander deduces the following formula for the maxima:—
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 17, 231 (1878). https://doi.org/10.1038/017231a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/017231a0