nine, distance 6", p. 60 deg..
Sweeping a little way northward we come upon an interesting binary,
lambda, which is unfortunately beyond the dividing power of our largest
glass. A good seven-inch or seven-and-a-half-inch should split it under
favorable circumstances. Its magnitudes are six and seven, distance
0.66", p. 74 deg..

The next step carries us to a very famous object, 61 Cygni, long known
as the nearest star in the northern hemisphere of the heavens. It is a
double which our three-inch will readily divide, the magnitudes being
both six, distance 21", p. 122 deg.. The distance of 61 Cygni, according to
Hall's parallax of 0.27", is about 70,000,000,000,000 miles. There is
some question whether or not it is a binary, for, while the twin stars
are both moving in the same direction in space with comparative
rapidity, yet conclusive evidence of orbital motion is lacking. When one
has noticed the contrast in apparent size between this comparatively
near-by star, which the naked eye only detects with considerable
difficulty, and some of its brilliant neighbors whose distance is so
great as to be immeasurable with our present means, no better proof will
be needed of the fact that the faintness of a star is not necessarily an
indication of remoteness.

We may prepare our eyes for a beautiful exhibition of contrasted colors
once more in the star . This is really a quadruple, although only two of
its components are close and conspicuous. The magnitudes are five, six,
seven and a half, and twelve; distances 2.4", p. 121 deg.; 208", p. 56 deg.; and
35", p. 264 deg.. The color of the largest star is white and that of its
nearest companion blue; the star of magnitude seven and a half is also
blue.

The star cluster 4681 is a fine sight with our largest glass. In the map
we find the place marked where the new star of 1876 made its appearance.
This was first noticed on November 24, 1876, when it shone with the
brilliance of a star of magnitude three and a half. Its spectrum was
carefully studied, especially by Vogel, and the very interesting changes
that it underwent were noted. Within a year the star had faded to less
than the tenth magnitude, and its spectrum had completely changed in
appearance, and had come to bear a close resemblance to that of a
planetary nebula. This has been quoted as a possible instance of a
celestial collision through whose effects the solid colliding masses
were vaporized and expanded into a nebu