The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1881-11-30

at half 40 hour past hve, when he Was re-
turning from his house to his laboratory but
returning about ten, be came to crowd of
country people who were staring at something
behind him. Looking round, he saw this
wonderful object. 1t was so bright that his
staff had a shadow it was of dazzling
white, with little of blush tinge. 1t had
no tail or hair around 1t similar to comets,
but shone with the same kind of lustre as the
other fixed stars. Its brilliancy was SO great
as to surpass that of Lyra and Sirius 1t
appeared even larger than Jupiter, which was
then at its nearest approach to the earth, and
by some was estimated to be superior to the
planet Venus in its greatest lustre. It was
even seen by those who had good eyes at noon
day !; circumstance which never happens in
the case of any of the other stars, or even of
the planets, except Venus, which has some
times been seen in daylight in certain peculiar
positions. During night, it was frequently
seen through thin clouds which entirely in
tercepted the light of the other stars. In this
state 1t continued to shine with undiminished
brillancy during the remaining part of No
vember, or more than three weeks. 1t did
not, however, continue much longer with this
degree of brightness, but gradually diminish
ed in its lustre. In the month of December
it appeared to be only equal to Jupiter in
January, 1873 it appeared little less than
that planet, but still somewhat larger than
stars of the first magnitude, to which 1t APP
peared about equal during the months of
February and March thus gradually dimin-
ishng in brightness, in April and May, it was
like star of the second magnitude /; in the
months of June, July and August, it was
equal only to the largest stars in Cassiopeia,
which are mostly of the third magnitude in
September, October, and November, 1t was no
larger than star of the fourth magnitude !;
in December, it was about equal to the star
called Gamma, which was nearest to it to-
wards the end of 1878, and during the month
of January, 1874, it was but little superior to
stars of the fifth magnitude in February, it
was no larger than a star of the sixth magni-
tude +; aud in the month of March it entirely
disappeared, having continued visible from
the beginning of November, 1879. to March,
1874, a period of about sixteen months. II
was remarked that as he diminished in size it
was likewise subject to certain changes in
color and brightness When it appeared
largest, its light was sohste and brilliant after
which 1t appeared a little yetlotoisb and in
the beginning of spring, 1878, it approached
something to the color Of Mars being reddish
like the star Aldebaran, or the Bulls Eye,
and little less bright than the star in the
right shoulder of Orion. In the month Of
May that year, it was of pale livid white,
like Saturn /; which color as lkew Use its
| sparKnug appeafRuce, cuntniueu 70 INC ias0;
only growing more dim and faint as 1t APP
preached the period of its disappearance.
Such were the appearances and changes Of
this wonderful star This star was likewise
diligently observed by Cornelius Gamma, who
says that on the night of the 9Th of November
1872 he viewed with some attention that part
of the heavens, in a very serene sky, but saw
nothing uncommon but that the next night,
November 9th, it appeared with a splendor
SURPRISING all the fixed stars, and scarcely
less bright than Venus. The longitude of
this star, as determined by Tycho, was 90,
~, and $50, AS OF north latitude.
The point in the heavens where this star
appeared may be ascertained from the follow
ing figure which exhibits representation of
the principal stars in Cassopeia. The general
position of this constellation is almost directly
opposite UrsG Major, or the Great Bear. A
line drawn from the Bear through the pole
star meets Cassiopea at nearly an equal dis
lance on the other side of that star. When
the Pear is at its lowest position below the
pole, Cassopeia is near the zenith and gice
cersa. In the annexed representation the
large star towards the left points out the
place which was occupied by the new star,
which, with the three stars Schedir, Caph,
Gamma, forms kind of rhombus, or irregu-
lar square. The one on the left above the
new star is known by the name of Gaph. The
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