Table V.
Quantities and Sum of the least real Motions.
| Sirius ––– | 0",65437 |
| Arcturus ––– | 1,28784 |
| Capella ––– | 0,10887 |
| Lyra ––– | 0,11281 |
| Aldebaran ––– | 0,01104 |
| Procyon ––– | 0,04998 |
| ———— | |
| Sum | 2",22491 |
The result of this investigation is, that by admitting a motion of the sun towards λ Herculis, the annual proper motions of our six stars, of which the sum is 5",3537, may be reduced to real motions of no more than 2",2249.
When first I proposed λ Herculis as an apex for the solar motion, it may be remembered that a reference to future observations was made for obtaining greater accuracy.[1] Such observations we have now before us, in the valuable Tables from which I have taken the proper motions of the six stars; and I shall prove that, with their assistance, we may fix on a solar motion that will be considerably more favourable.
We have already shown, that to ascertain the precise place of the best apex is attended with some difficulty; but from the inspection of the figure which represents the quantities of real motion required when λ Herculis is fixed upon, it will be seen that, by a regular method of approximation, we may turn the line SP into a situation where all the angles of the
- ↑ See Phil. Trans, for 1783, p, 273, line 8; and page 274, line 4.
