ver they are shining, I must be looking."
And so on every fine night he stands or sits at his open study window
gazing at the heavens. I believe he was just about to leave them for his
bed, near 3 A.M. on the night of February 21, 1901, when, throwing a last
glance upward, he suddenly saw a brilliant star in the constellation
Perseus. His first feeling was actually one of disappointment, for he felt
sure that this object must have been there for some time past without his
knowing of it, and he grudged the time lost when he might have been
regarding it. More in a spirit of complaint than of inquiry, he made his
way to the Royal Observatory at Edinburgh next day to hear what they had
to say about it, though he found it difficult to approach the subject. He
first talked about the weather, and the crops, and similar topics of
general interest; and only after some time dared he venture a casual
reference to the "new portent in the heavens." Seeing his interlocutor
look somewhat blank, he ventured a little farther, and made a direct
reference to the new star in Perseus; and then found to his astonishment,
as also to his great delight, that he was the first to bring news of it.
The news was soon communicated to other observers; all the telescopes of
the world were soon trained upon it; and this wonderful "new star of the
new century" has taught us more of the nature of these extraordinary
bodies than all we knew before.

[Sidenote: Records previous to discovery.]

[Sidenote: Was Nova Geminorum previously shining faintly?]

[Sidenote: The suspicion negatived.]

Perhaps I may add a few remarks on one or two features of these bodies.
Firstly, let us note that Professor Pickering of Harvard is now able to
make a most important contribution to the _former_ history of these
objects--that is to say, their history preceding their actual detection.
We remember that, after Uranus had been discovered, it was found that
several observers had long before recorded its place unknowingly; and
similarly Professor Pickering and his staff have usually photographed
other new objects unknowingly. There are on the shelves at Harvard vast
stores of photographs, so many that they are unable to examine them when
they have been taken; but once any object of interest has been discovered,
it is easy to turn over the store and examine the particular plates which
may possibly show it at an earlier date. In this way it was found that Dr.
Anderson's new s