s
with interesting objects. We begin our attack with the five-inch on
Sigma 1932, but not too confident that we shall come off victors, for
this binary has been slowly closing for many years. The magnitudes are
six and a half and seven, distance 0.84", p. 150 deg.. Not far distant is
another binary, at present beyond our powers, eta. Here the magnitudes
are both six, distance 0.65", p. 3 deg.. Hall assigns a period of forty
years to this star.

The assemblage of close binaries in this neighborhood is very curious.
Only a few degrees away we find one that is still more remarkable, the
star gamma. What has previously been said about 42 Comae Berenicis
applies in a measure to this star also. It, too, has a comparatively
small orbit, and its components are never seen widely separated. In 1826
their distance was 0.7"; in 1880 they could not be split; in 1891 the
distance had increased to 0.36", and in 1894 it had become 0.53", p.
123 deg.. But in 1899 Lewis made the distance only 0.43". The period has
been estimated at one hundred years.

While the group of double stars in the southern part of Corona Borealis
consists, as we have seen, of remarkably close binaries, another group
in the northern part of the same constellation comprises stars that are
easily separated. Let us first try zeta. The powers of the three-inch
are amply sufficient in this case. The magnitudes are four and five,
distance 6.3", p. 300 deg.. Colors, white or bluish-white and blue or green.

Next take sigma, whose magnitudes are five and six, distance 4", p.
206 deg.. With the five-inch we may look for a second companion of the tenth
magnitude, distance 54", p. 88 deg.. It is thought highly probable that
sigma is a binary, but its period has simply been guessed at.

Finally, we come to nu, which consists of two very widely separated
stars, nu^1 and nu^2, each of which has a faint companion. With the
five-inch we may be able to see the companion of nu^2, the more
southerly of the pair. The magnitude of the companion is variously given
as tenth and twelfth, distance 137", p. 18 deg..

With the aid of the map we find the position of the new star of 1866,
which is famous as the first so-called temporary star to which
spectroscopic analysis was applied. When first noticed, on May 12, 1866,
this star was of the second magnitude, fully equaling in brilliancy
alpha, the brightest star of the constellation; but in about two weeks
it fell to the ninth magnitu