Piazzi's double star catalogues

I am editing a new edition of PLEASURES OF THE TELESCOPE (1901) by
Garrett Serviss and adding updated nomenclature. There is one reference
I am uncertain about, a multiple star in Libra:

At the point marked A on the map is a curious multiple star, sometimes
referred to by its number in Piazzi's catalogues as follows: 212 P.
xiv. The two principle stars are easily seen, their magnitudes being
six and seven and a half; distance 15 seconds, position angle 290
degrees. [S.W.] Burnham found four other faint companions, for which
it would be useless for us to look [with a 6-inch refractor]. The
remarkable thing is that these faint stars, the nearest of which is
distant about 50 seconds from the largest member of the group and the
farthest about 129 seconds, do not share, according to their
discoverer, in the rapid proper motion of the two main stars.

The small-scale map gives only a rough clue as to the object's position,
but that and the description suggest Herschel's "H N 28" which I find in
Kepple and Sanner's THE NIGHT SKY OBSERVER'S GUIDE. They also have a
note: "Herschel's 1821 catalogue."

[Robert] BURNHAM'S CELESTIAL HANDBOOK has a suggestive entry for "Hh
457", which is marked "(P212) (Sh 190)". The coordinates and
measurements are similar to the above. I don't see "Hh" in his key, but
wonder if it means both William and John Herschel. Nor do I see "P" or
"Sh" in his list of double star catalogues, although the "212" from the
Serviss quote is a strong hint that "P" is for Piazzi. In Kepple &
Sanner "S,h" means "James South & John Herschel".

Those are the only double star references I have. Can anyone shed light
on the identity and proper designation of this object?

-Bill
--
Sattre Press History of Astronomy
http://sattre-press.com/ During the 19th Century
by Agnes M. Clerke
http://sattre-press.com/han.html

If you don't get an answer here then you might try the Double Star
Forum at Astromart. They like this kind of puzzle over there and have
a lot of expertise in this area.

Bill McClain wrote:

I am editing a new edition of PLEASURES OF THE TELESCOPE (1901) by
Garrett Serviss and adding updated nomenclature. There is one reference
I am uncertain about, a multiple star in Libra:

At the point marked A on the map is a curious multiple star, sometimes
referred to by its number in Piazzi's catalogues as follows: 212 P.
xiv. ...


That multiple star also is mentioned -- with the exact same Piazzi
designation -- in Admiral William H. Smyth's _The Bedford Catalogue_,
on page 329 of the Willmann-Bell reprint (1986).

And both your proposed matches are indeed correct; this system has been
tagged H 28, Hh 457, Sh 190. Its more modern identifier is ADS 9446.

--
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mark Gingrich San Leandro, California

On 2004-08-27, Mark Gingrich wrote:
That multiple star also is mentioned -- with the exact same Piazzi
designation -- in Admiral William H. Smyth's _The Bedford Catalogue_,
on page 329 of the Willmann-Bell reprint (1986).

And both your proposed matches are indeed correct; this system has been
tagged H 28, Hh 457, Sh 190. Its more modern identifier is ADS 9446.

Thanks Mark and Jeff! I also posted this info to the HASTRO-L list (history of
astronomy) and got a detailed and authoritative reply from the US Naval
Observatory. The mystery object is indeed H N 28, known by many other names
(as are all double stars!)

Regards,

-Bill
--
Sattre Press Curiosities of the Sky
http://sattre-press.com/ by Garrett Serviss
http://sattre-press.com/csky.html