A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century: Fourth EditionClerke, Agnes M. (Agnes Mary)
History
A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century: Fourth Edition
Clerke, Agnes M. (Agnes Mary)
Astronomy -- History -- 19th century
It appears from Struve's researches that about one in forty of all stars
down to the ninth magnitude is composite, but that the proportion is
doubled in the brighter orders.[102] This he attributed to the
difficulty of detecting the faint companions of very remote orbs. It was
also noticed, both by him and Bessel, that double stars are in general
remarkable for large proper motions. Struve's catalogue included no star
of which the components were more than 32" apart, because beyond that
distance the chances of merely optical juxtaposition become
considerable; but the immense preponderance of extremely close over (as
it were) loosely yoked bodies is such as to demonstrate their physical
connection, even if no other proof were forthcoming. Many stars
previously believed to be single divided under the scrutiny of the
Dorpat refractor; while in some cases, one member of a supposed binary
system revealed itself as double, thus placing the surprised observer in
the unexpected presence of a triple group of suns. Five instances were
noted of two pairs lying so close together as to induce a conviction of
their mutual dependence;[103] besides which, 124 examples occurred of
triple, quadruple, and multiple combinations, the reality of which was
open to no reasonable doubt.[104]
It was first pointed out by Bessel that the fact of stars exhibiting a
common proper motion might serve as an unfailing test of their real
association into systems. This was, accordingly, one of the chief
criteria employed by Struve to distinguish true binaries from merely
optical couples. On this ground alone, 61 Cygni was admitted to be a
genuine double star; and it was shown that, although its components
appeared to follow almost strictly rectilinear paths, yet the
probability of their forming a connected pair is actually greater than
that of the sun rising to-morrow morning.[105] Moreover, this tie of an
identical movement was discovered to unite bodies[106] far beyond the
range of distance ordinarily separating the members of binary systems,
and to prevail so extensively as to lead to the conclusion that single
do not outnumber conjoined stars more than twice or thrice.[107]
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