VII. On the parallax of α. Lyræ

Abstract

My former experiments with a fixed telescope upon α Cygni have always appeared to me so decisive, as to render hopeless any farther attempt to discover its parallax; but respecting that of α Lyræ, my observations with the mural circle were not equally satisfactory; for among the observations of this star we may find occasional discordances that admit of being interpreted in favour of parallax. And although I have been inclined myself to attribute these irregularities to other causes, yet their existence made it desirable to institute new experiments. The method with a fixed telescope, which I had contrived for α Cygni, could not here, I found, be applied successfully; there being no star of nearly the same altitude but opposite in right ascension sufficiently bright to be observed throughout the year, a circumstance quite essential to that mode of observation. I have employed therefore the mural circle to investigate, 1st, the difference of parallax between γ Draconis and α Lyræ: 2dly, the absolute parallax of the latter star; the Dublin observations indicating, it may be remembered, that the parallax of γ Draconis is insensible, but that of α Lyræ a very perceptible quantity. The processes employed in these two investigations being very different, I shall consider each of them separately. It is impossible to conceive a more simple process than that of determining with the mural circle the difference of polar distance between these stars. From their proximity in right ascension, the operation is the same as that of measuring the angular distance of two terrestrial objects, about 12° asunder, with a theodolite surrounded by six microscopes: for the mural circle, in principle, exactly resembles a vertical theodolite; with this difference, that its microscopes, instead of being placed on a frame-work of brass, are securely fixed on a stone pier. Now I find that the angular distance thus measured in winter does not differ one-tenth of a second from the same angular distance measured in summer; and therefore, that the difference of parallax between the two stars is absolutely a quantity too small to be measured. In this investigation, it is to be considered that any constant error in the determination of the absolute polar distances has nothing to do with the question, it being the difference only of those distances at opposite seasons that is required. To render all errors throughout the whole course of observation as constant as possible, the telescope remained fixed to the same part of the limb of the instrument, and the utmost pains were taken to reduce the temperature in the Observatory to that of the outer air; the difference throughout the year not exceeding one degree. The winter of 1821-1822 was extremely favourable for astronomical observation; there were an unusual number of fine nights, and the weather was so mild and uniform, that we were enabled to equalize the temperature, so as to make it of no importance whether the observations were computed by the outer or inner thermometer; and it is to this circumstance, in a great measure, that I attribute the perfect coincidence between the observations at different seasons.