Sidereal Chromatics: Being a Re-print, with Additions from the "Bedford Cycle of Celestial Objects," and Its "Hartwell Continuation," on the Colours of Multiple Starsprivate circulation, 1864 - 96 pages Admiral William Henry Smyth's Sidereal Chromatics (1864) represents a landmark achievement in nineteenth-century astronomy, offering the most precise observations of the colours of double stars yet recorded. An expansion upon his well-known Bedford Cycle of Celestial Objects, which garnered a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society, Sidereal Chromatics provides both a theory concerning the source of double-star colours and a method for determining their most exact description. Detailed charts compare Smyth's measurements of more than one hundred double stars with his own previously published observations and those of his fellow astronomer, Father Benedetto Sestini. This edition also includes Smyth's famous colour chart, an attempt to standardise the process of identifying double-star colours. Sidereal Chromatics ends with Smyth's plea to amateur astronomers to continue the effort of charting the heavens, aided by improved telescopes and works such as his, 'trustworthy treatises available to all men'. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
70 Ophiuchi 95 Herculis Admiral Smyth amateur appear Aquarii Aquilæ astrometry Astronomical atmosphere Azure Bluish green Bright white Cassiopeæ Celestial Objects Cerulean blue Ceti chromatic Colours of Double colours of stars components contrast Cor Caroli Cycle of Celestial Deep yellow distance double stars Elchies Epoch equatoreal eye-piece fainter Flushed blue Flushed white Golden yellow Greenish blue grey Greyish hues instrument Isaac Fletcher J. R. Hind July Knott large star Light blue Light emerald Light yellow Lilac magnitude means nebula night observations observatory Ophiuchi Orange yellow Orionis pair Pale blue Pale lilac Pale orange Pale violet Pale white Pale yellow Piazzi Piscium prismatic purple rays Reddish refrangibility remarks ruddy Sapphire blue Sestini shew sidereal Silvery white Sir John Herschel Smalt blue ẞ Cygni stellar Struve T. W. Webb telescope Teneriffe tinge tion Topaz yellow vapour VARIABLE STARS variations velocity Vico W. R. Dawes William Huggins Yellowish white
Popular passages
Page 23 - First the flaming Red Sprung vivid forth ; the tawny Orange next ; And next delicious Yellow ; by whose side Fell the kind beams of all-refreshing Green ; Then the pure Blue, that swells autumnal skies Ethereal...
Page 17 - ... it may be easier suggested in words than conceived in imagination, what variety of illumination two suns — a red and a green, or a yellow and a blue one — must afford a planet circulating about either ; and what charming contrasts and
Page 39 - Nothing short of a separate and independent estimation of the total amount of the red, the yellow, and the blue rays in the spectrum of each star would suffice for the resolution of the problem of Astrometry in the strictness of its numerical acceptation ; and this the actual state of optical science leaves us destitute even of the means of attempting, with the slightest prospect of success.
Page 41 - Young, — a theory which, if not founded in nature, is certainly one of the happiest fictions that the genius of man has yet invented to group together natural phenomena, as well as the most fortunate in the support it has unexpectedly received from whole classes of new phenomena, which at their first discovery seemed in irreconcileable opposition to it.
Page 32 - The only remedy is a most serene and quiet Air, such as may perhaps be found on the tops of the highest Mountains above the grosser Clouds.
Page 38 - Hemisphere: it treats of Astrometry, or the numerical expression of the apparent magnitudes of the stars.
Page 14 - In such instances, the larger star is usually of a ruddy or orange hue, while the smaller one appears blue or green ; probably in virtue of that general law of optics which provides that when the retina is under the influence of excitement by any...
Page 32 - Herculis I have observed that there are several defective bands. By applying a fine rock-salt prism to this orange star, as seen in Sir James South's great achromatic refractor, its spectrum clearly showed that there was one defective band in the red space, and two more in the blue space. Hence the colour of the star is orange, because there is a greater defect of blue than of red rays.
Page 37 - This earth? reciprocal, if land be there, Fields and inhabitants: her spots thou seest As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce Fruits in her soften'd soil, for some to eat Allotted there; and other suns perhaps, With their attendant moons, thou wilt descry, Communicating male and female light; Which two great sexes animate the world, Stored in each orb perhaps with some that live...
Page 84 - ... properly so called ; still it would be very unsafe to conclude that such will always be the case, and thence to draw the obvious inference that all nebulosity is but the glare of stars too remote to be separated by the utmost power of our instruments.