A little ramble through 19th century astronomy - R Lepus in 1876

 Nature February 17^th 1876

The Variable Star R Leporis

This highly coloured star, the variability of which was detected by Schmidt in 1855, is calculated to be at maximum on the 28^th of the present month. The mean period appears to be about 438 days, 230 days being occupied in passing from minimum to maximum, and 208 days from maximum to minimum.

Probably the irregularities of variation which have been suspected are to be mainly attributed to the difficulty attending comparison of a star of such intensely red colour. With regard to the colour, however there is something more thana suspicion that it has sensibly diminished in intensity sine attention was first directed to it (Hind 1845 October)

We are almost wholly indebted to Schmidt, who makes such excellent use of the favourable astronomical conditions under which he is placed at Athens, for our knowledge of the law of variation in R Leporis.

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