The same occurred the evening before with a star of the eighth or ninth
magnitude.
The immersions, however, of two very small stars, apparently of the tenth
or eleventh magnitude, were observed with difficulty in the refractor,
but could not be observed at all in the reflector.
The comparison of Polaris was best seen when the moon was up in the
refractor, but in the absence of the moon it was readily seen in both.
Castor was easily divided with the lower powers of either, but in the
case of this, as well as of other binary and double stars, the dark space
between the stars was less disturbed by scattering rays in the reflector
than in the refractor.
ε Bootes was seen double in each, but more distinctly in the reflector, μ
Draconis, γ Leonis, and 4th and 5th ε Lyra, were seen distinctly double
in both instruments; μ Draconis, from the equality of the disks and
softness of light, presented the finest appearance.
γ Virginis, with a power of three hundred and fifty in either telescope,
gave no certain indications of being double. Some of the members of the
committee were of opinion that it was slightly elongated.
It was stated by the artist that his reflector would divide stars distant
3″ from each other.
Estimating the distance of the stars observed by the late observations of
South, Struve, and Herschel, jr., the committee were of opinion that his
instrument is adequate to the distinct division of double stars distant
from each other 2″.5.
The motion of this instrument, plainly mounted, was steady, and with the
finder, even without rack work, objects were easily made to range with
the centre, or line of collimation of the instrument.
The position of the observers with the Herschelian telescope, was natural
and easy in contemplating objects having seventy or eighty degrees
of altitude, though quite constrained and inconvenient in using the
achromatic.
The reflector gave a distinct view of land objects, even when within
one-fourth of a mile.
Some light was lost by the position of the head, an inconvenience
partially obviated by making the end nearest the object three inches
greater in aperture.
The Gregorian, which probably was not a very fine instrument of its kind,
bore no comparison in distinctness, or in quantity of light, with the
Herschelian telescope.
From these trials, the committee are of opinion that Mr. Holcomb has been
entirely successful in the difficult art of polishing specula with the
true curve, which gives to the objects viewed all the distinctness of
figure that is given them by the best refractors by Dolland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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