The New Star in Cygnus

Abstract

Since the receipt of the first account of Dr. Schmidt's Nova the weather here has generally been of the most unfavourable character, and it was not until January 2 that the new star could be examined with the 15-inch refractor of this observatory. On the evening of that day the Nova was of about the seventh magnitude and of a decided red colour. The spectrum, as shown in a spectroscope of Dr. Vogel's construction, was of surprising brilliancy, and consisted of a faint continuous spectrum interrupted by five bright lines. The positions of these lines determined in parts of the scale of the instrument, and afterwards reduced to wave-lengths by comparing the spectra of moonlight and various elements are as follows:—