Astronomical Curiosities: Facts and Fallacies

30

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 52, footnote.

31

Ibid., p. 54.

32

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1892, p. 618.

33

Nature, August 7, 1879.

34

The World of Space, p. 56.

35

Nature, September 15, 1892.

36

Observatory, 1880, p. 574.

37

Knowledge, November 1, 1897, pp. 260, 261.

38

Worlds in the Making, p. 61.

39

Ibid., p. 48.

40

Nature, June 1, 1876.

41

Cel. Objects, vol. i. p. 66 (5th Edition).

42

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 65 (5th Edition).

43

Ast. Nach. No. 1863.

44

Nature, June 1, 1876.

45

Ibid., June 8, 1876.

46

Nature, October 17, 1895.

47

Ibid., July 27, 1905.

48

Nature, October 6, 1887.

49

Ast. Nach., No. 4106.

50

Copernicus, vol. ii. p. 168.

51

Cosmos, vol. iv. p. 476, footnote.

52

Denning, Telescopic Work for Starlight Evenings, p. 153.

53

Ibid., p. 154.

54

Nature, July 13, 1876.

55

P. M. Ryves in Knowledge, June 1, 1897, p. 144.

56

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, August, 1905.

57

Nature, April 5, 1894.

58

Nature, May 14, 1896. Some have attributed these “luminous clouds” to light reflected from the dust of the Krakatoa eruption (1883).

59

The Observatory, 1877, p. 90.

60

Popular Astronomy, vol. 11 (1903), p. 293.

61

Popular Astronomy, vol. 13 (1905), p. 226.

62

Nature, July 25, 1901 (from Flammarion).

63

Popular Astronomy, vol. 11 (1903), p. 496.

64

Kinetic Theories of Gravitation, Washington, 1877.

65

The Observatory, June, 1894, p. 208.

66

Nature, June 8, 1899.

67

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 14 (1901), p. 238, footnote.

68

Mars as the Abode of Life, p. 52.

69

Second Book of the Maccabees v. 1-4 (Revised Edition).

70

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. i. p. 169 (Otté’s translation).

71

Quoted by Grant in History of Physical Astronomy, p. 71.

72

Ibid., pp. 100, 101.

73

Exposition du Système du Monde, quoted by Carl Snyder in The World Machine, p. 226.

74

Worlds in the Making, p. 63.

75

Cosmos, vol. i. p. 131.

76

The Observatory, June, 1909, p. 261.

77

Astronomical Essays, pp. 61, 62.

78

Encyclopædia Britannica (Schiraz).

79

Monthly Notices, R.A.S., February, 1905.

80

Nature, March 3, 1870.

81

Ibid., March 31, 1870, p. 557.

82

Prof. W. H. Pickering found 12 times (see p. 1).

83

Nature, January 30, 1908.

84

Nature, September 5, 1901.

85

Ibid., July 31, 1890.

86

Nature, October 16, 1884.

87

Nature, February 19, 1885.

88

Nature, January 14, 1909, p. 323.

89

Photographic Atlas of the Moon, Annals of Harvard Observatory, vol. li. pp. 14, 15.

90

Nature, January 18, 1906.

91

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. iv. p. 481.

92

Ibid., p. 482.

93

Monthly Notices, R.A.S., June, 1895.

94

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. iv. p. 483 (Otté’s translation).

95

Grant, History of Physical Astronomy, p. 229.

96

Popular Astronomy, vol. xvii. No. 6, p. 387 (June-July, 1909).

97

Nature, October 7, 1875.

98

Mars as an Abode of Life (1908), p. 281.

99

Knowledge, May 2, 1886.

100

Nature, March 12, 1908.

101

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, April, 1899.

102

Astronomy and Astrophysics (1894), p. 649.

103

Nature, April 20, 1905.

104

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 14 (1901), p. 258.

105

Nature, August 22, 1907.

106

Popular Astronomy, vol. 12 (1904), p. 679.

107

Mars as an Abode of Life, p. 69.

108

Ibid., p. 146.

109

Worlds in the Making, p. 49.

110

Worlds in the Making, p. 53.

111

Denning, Telescopic Work for Starlight Evenings, p. 158.

112

Ibid., p. 166.

113

Nature, July 13, 1876.

114

Nature, May 2, 1907.

115

Nature, May 30, 1907.

116

Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, August, 1908.

117

Monthly Notices, R.A.S., 1902, p. 291.

118

Monthly Notices, R.A.S., February, 1902, p. 291.

119

Nature, May 24, 1894.

120

Ibid., February 14, 1895.

121

Ibid., September 14, 1905.

122

Ibid., September 21, 1905.

123

Ibid., September 28, 1905.

124

Ibid., July 13, 1905.

125

Nature, November 3, 1898.

126

Ibid., July 14, 1881, p. 235.

127

Quoted in The Observatory, February, 1896, p. 104, from Ast. Nach., No. 3319.

128

Monthly Notices, R.A.S., February, 1909.

129

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 163.

130

Nature, December 29, 1898.

131

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 166.

132

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 14 (1901), pp. 248-9.

133

Nature, August 27, 1908.

134

Webb’s Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 177.

135

Ibid., vol. i. p. 187.

136

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 186.

137

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1892, p. 87.

138

Ibid., 1892, pp. 94-5.

139

Observatory, December, 1891.

140

Popular Astronomy, vol. 11 (1903), p. 574.

141

Ibid., October, 1908.

142

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, August, 1907.

143

Nature, August, 29 1907.

144

Ibid., March 7, 1907.

145

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, June, 1904.

146

The Observatory, October, 1903, p. 392.

147

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1894, p. 277.

148

Nature, November 18, 1897.

149

Journal, B.A.A., January, 1907.

150

Journal, B.A.A., February, 1909, p. 161.

151

Cosmos, vol. ii. p. 703.

152

Ibid.

153

Denning, Telescopic Work for Starlight Evenings, p. 349.

154

Cosmos, vol. iii. p. 75.

155

Journal, B.A.A., June, 1896.

156

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 191.

157

Nature, May 30, 1901.

158

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, August, 1900.

159

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1892.

160

Astrophysical Journal, January, 1908, p. 35.

161

Nature, May 22, 1902.

162

Ibid., July 9, 1903.

163

Ibid., July 16, 1903.

164

Nature, September 24, 1903.

165

Ibid., October 8, 1903.

166

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 26 (1907), p. 60.

167

Nature, January 30, 1908.

168

Ibid., October 15, 1908.

169

Ibid., October 29, 1908.

170

Journal, B.A.A., March, 1908, and June 22, 1908.

171

Nature, June 25, 1903.

172

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, June, 1904.

173

Pop. Ast., vol. 12, pp. 408-9.

174

Nature, August 29, 1889.

175

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 26 (1907), p. 62.

176

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, January, 1904.

177

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. iv. p. 532.

178

Copernicus, vol. ii. p. 64.

179

Knowledge, May, 1909.

180

Journal, British Astronomical Association, January, 1909, p. 132.

181

Ast. Nach., No. 4308.

182

History of Physical Astronomy, p. 204.

183

Smyth’s Celestial Cycle, pp. 210, 211.

184

Poor, The Solar System, p. 274.

185

Celestial Cycle, p. 246.

186

Nature, October 2, 1879.

187

Ibid., May 6, 1880.

188

Ibid., February 19, 1880.

189

Nature, September 30, 1897.

190

Nature, August 5, 1875.

191

Ibid., October 12, 1882, and Copernicus, vol. iii. p. 85.

192

Nature, May 8, 1884.

193

Ibid., June 16, 1887.

194

Journal, B.A.A., December 13, 1901.

195

Nature, September 20, 1900.

196

Ast. Nach., No. 3868, and Nature, March 12, 1903.

197

Nature, November 13, 1908.

198

Nature, December 7, 1905.

199

Celestial Cycle, p. 259.

200

Celestial Cycle, p. 260.

201

Journal, B.A.A., April, 1907.

202

Monthly Notices, R.A.S., March, 1908.

203

Celestial Cycle, p. 231.

204

Journal, B.A.A., July, 1908.

205

Popular Astronomy, October, 1908.

206

Cape Obs., p. 401.

207

Nature, July 2, 1908.

208

Journal, B.A.A., January 20, 1909, pp. 123-4.

209

Chambers’ Handbook of Astronomy, Catalogue of Comets.

210

Seneca, quoted by Chambers, Handbook, vol. i. p. 554 (Fourth Edition).

211

Ibid.

212

Ibid.

213

Ibid., p. 534.

214

Ibid.

215

Ma-tuoan-lin, quoted by Chambers, Handbook, p. 570.

216

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1893, p. 798.

217

The Observatory, October, 1898.

218

Grant’s History of Physical Astronomy, p. 293.

219

Ibid., p. 294.

220

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. i. pp. 89, 90 (Otté’s translation).

221

Celestial Objects, vol. i. p. 211, footnote.

222

Denning, Telescopic Work for Starlight Evenings, p. 248.

223

Ibid., p. 248.

224

Ibid., p. 250.

225

Ibid., p. 231.

226

Vol. iii. p. 106.

227

Grant’s History of Physical Astronomy, p. 298.

228

Ibid., p. 305.

229

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. i. p. 95.

230

Nature, April 30, 1908.

231

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, May, 1906.

232

Nature, November 24, 1904.

233

Ibid., September 10, 1896.

234

Ibid., June 29, 1893.

235

Journal, B.A.A., May 22, 1903.

236

Nature, December 13, 1906, p. 159.

237

Nature, September 13, 1906.

238

Nature, October 12, 1905, p. 596.

239

Knowledge, January 13, 1882.

240

Ibid., January 20, 1882.

241

Popular Astronomy, June-July, 1908, p. 345.

242

The Observatory, March, 1896, p. 135.

243

The Observatory, February, 1900, pp. 106-7.

244

Knowledge, March, 1893, p. 51.

245

Ibid., July 3, 1885, p. 11.

246

Cosmos, vol. i. p. 108 (Otté’s translation).

247

Ibid., vol. i. p. 124.

248

Ibid., vol. i. p. 119, footnote.

249

Copernicus, vol. i. p. 72.

250

Ibid.

251

Astrophysical Journal, June, 1909, pp. 378-9.

252

Knowledge, July, 1909, p. 264.

253

Quoted by Miss Irene E. T. Warner in Knowledge, July, 1909, p. 264.

254

The Observatory, November, 1900.

255

Or, “Before the phantom of false morning died” (4th edition); The Observatory, September, 1905, p. 356.

256

The Observatory, July, 1896, p. 274.

257

Journal, B.A.A., January 24, 1906.

258

Ast. Soc. of the Pacific, December, 1908, p. 280.

259

Nature, November 1, 1906.

260

Ibid., November 22, 1906, p. 93.

261

Nature, August 30, 1906.

262

Cosmos, vol. i. p. 131, footnote.

263

Nature, December 16, 1875.

264

Ibid., July 23, 1891.

265

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, April, 1903.

266

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, April, 1903.

267

The Observatory, May, 1896. The italics are Brenner’s.

268

Cosmos, vol. iv. p. 563.

269

For details of this enumeration, see Astronomical Essays, p. 222.

270

Nature, June 11, 1908.

271

Popular Astronomy, vol. 14 (1906), p. 510.

272

Bedford Catalogue, p. 532.

273

Popular Astronomy, vol. 15 (1907), p. 194.

274

Popular Astronomy, vol. 15 (1907), p. 195.

275

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, February, 1903.

276

Here χ is probably 17 Cygni, χ being the famous variable near it.

277

Popular Astronomy, vol. 13 (1904), p. 509.

278

Astrophysical Journal, December, 1895.

279

The Observatory, July, 1895, p. 290.

280

Celestial Cycle, p. 302.

281

Nature, December 13, 1894.

282

Histoire Celeste, p. 211.

283

Nature, October, 1887.

284

Ibid., August 29, 1889.

285

Science Abstracts, February 25, 1908, pp. 82, 83.

286

Bedford Catalogue, pp. 227-8.

287

Knowledge, February 1, 1888.

288

Celestial Cycle, p. 280.

289

Popular Astronomy, February, 1904.

290

Ibid., vol. 15 (1907), p. 444.

291

Journal, B.A.A., June, 1899.

292

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 8 (1898), p. 314.

293

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 8, p. 213.

294

Ibid., vol. 17, January to June, 1902.

295

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1894, pp. 569-70.

296

The Study of Stellar Evolution (1908), p. 171.

297

Astrophysical Journal, January, 1905.

298

Journal, B.A.A., June, 1901.

299

Ast. Soc. of the Pacific, December, 1908.

300

The Observatory, November, 1902, p. 391.

301

Cosmos, vol. iv. p. 567 (Otté’s translation).

302

Journal, B.A.A., February, 1898.

303

The Observatory, April, 1887.

304

Evangeline, Part the Second, III.

305

Legend of Robert, Duke of Normandy.

306

Copernicus, vol. iii. p. 231.

307

Ibid., p. 61.

308

Cosmos, vol. i. p. 142.

309

These apertures are computed from the formula, minimum visible = 9 + 5 log. aperture.

310

Cosmos, vol. iii. p. 73.

311

Darwin and Modern Science, p. 563.

312

Journal, B.A.A., October, 1895.

313

Burnham’s General Catalogue of Double Stars, p. 494.

314

Journal, B.A.A., November 18, 1896.

315

Ibid., B.A.A., January, 1907.

316

Studies in Astronomy, p. 185.

317

Knowledge, June, 1891.

318

Seen by Drs. Ludendorff and Eberhard, The Observatory, April, 1906, p. 166, quoted from Ast. Nach., No. 4067.

319

The Observatory, January, 1907, p. 61.

320

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1894.

321

Smyth’s Celestial Cycle, p. 223.

322

Nature, February 7, 1907.

323

Ibid., March 19, 1908.

324

Popular Astronomy, vol. 15 (1907), p. 9.

325

Astrophysical Journal, June, 1907, p. 330.

326

Ibid., vol. 22, p. 172.

327

Nature, November 18, 1886.

328

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 17 (1903), p. 282.

329

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 12 (1900), p. 54.

330

Nature, March 21, 1878.

331

Bulletin, Ast. Soc. de France, June, 1904.

332

Journal, B.A.A., vol. 17 (1903), p. 282.

333

Nature, June 20, 1909.

334

The Observatory, vol. 7 (1884), p. 17.

335

The Observatory, vol. 14 (1891), p. 69.

336

Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1896, p. 54

337

Nature, August 28, 1902.

338

Astrophysical Journal, October, 1903.

339

Nature, May 30, 1907.

340

Popular Astronomy, February, 1909, p. 125.

341

The Observatory, May, 1907, p. 216.

342

Astrophysical Journal, May, 1907.

343

Histoire de l’Astronomie Moderne, vol. i. pp. 185-6.

344

Humboldt’s Cosmos, vol. iii. p. 210 (Otté’s translation).

345

Ibid., vol. iii. pp. 213-14.

346

J. C. Duncan, Lick Observatory Bulletin, No. 151.

347