An Historical and Descriptive List of some Double Stars Suspected to Vary in Light

Abstract

THE light-changes of double stars are, for the most part, of an intermittent character. Unmistakable at one epoch, they may completely evade detection at another. Hence observations of them which, by the nature of the case, cannot be repeated are apt to incur discredit for lack of confirmation. They should, on the contrary, if properly authenticated, be carefully borne in mind, as testifying to an incident in the history of the stars they refer to which, however apparently isolated, must be extremely liable to recur. We have therefore thought that it would be useful to put together, as concisely as possible, a few facts bearing on the supposed I variability of some stars which we may reasonably consider to be physically double, referring those of our readers who desire fuller information on the subject to the original authorities we shall cite for their convenience.