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But their particular distinction lay in the multitude of stars begemming the background. He had already formed the project of extending Argelander's "Durchmusterung" from the point where it was left by Schönfeld to the southern pole; and his ideas regarding the means of carrying it into execution crystallised at the needle touch of the cometary experiments.
By the laborious process of isographically charting the whole of Argelander's 324,000 stars, he brought out in 1871 signs of relationship between the distribution of the brighter stars and the complex branchings of the Milky Way, which has been stamped as authentic by Newcomb's recent statistical inquiries.
It is now a pale yellow, slightly variable star near the tenth magnitude, and finds a place as such in Argelander's charts. It was thus obscurely known before it made its sudden leap into notoriety. The next "temporary," discovered by Dr. Schmidt at Athens, November 24, 1876, could lay no claim to previous recognition even in that modest rank. It was strictly a parvenu.
He quitted the post only when he found that its restricted opportunities offered no farther prospect of self-improvement. He now built an observatory of his own at Redhill in Surrey, with the design of completing Bessel's and Argelander's survey of the northern heavens by adding to it the circumpolar stars omitted from their view.
He soon became so interested and so confidential that he unlocked a small, closet-like room and showed her his treasures the telescope and other instruments, Argelander's maps, and many books written by the most eminent authorities. "I haf gone mitout mine dinner many und many der day to puy dese.
Afterwards, Baxendell of Manchester, and others independently saw the star. Referring to Argelander's list, we find that the star had been twice observed viz., on May 18, 1855, and on March 31, 1856. Birmingham wrote at once to Mr. Huggins, who, in conjunction with the late Dr. Miller, had been for some time engaged in observing stars and other celestial objects with the spectroscope.
Returning some years later, he had become bald, but had made up for it by having a full, long beard. He entered Argelander's study unannounced. At first the astronomer did not recognize him. "Do you not know me, Herr Professor?" The astronomer looked more closely. "Mine Gott! It is Gould mit his hair struck through!"
But the appearance of Argelander's prize-essay in 1837 changed the aspect of the question. Herschel's first memorable solution in 1783 was based upon the motions of thirteen stars, imperfectly known; his second, in 1805, upon those of no more than six.
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