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Abstract

Several circumstances invest the star Alpha Centauri, one of
the brightest in our southern sky, with special interest. It
was one of the earliest whose annual parallax (from which is
deduced its distance) was approximately ascertained. It is,
so far as at present known, by much the nearest of the fixed
stars to our system. It is perhaps the most magnificent of
double stars. And (what invests it with special interest to us)
it is, from its great southern declination, invisible to the
Observatories of the Northern Hemisphere. Science is
therefore dependent entirely upon southern observations for all
that can be known of the relative movements of its components.
Its distance from the solar system is about 225,000 times that
of the earth from the sun. Includes illustration

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Biggs, Alfred Barrett
Keywords:	Royal Society of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land, VDL, Hobart Town, natural sciences, proceedings, records
Journal or Publication Title:	Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Collections:	Royal Society Collection > Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Additional Information:	In 1843 the Horticultural and Botanical Society of Van Diemen's Land was founded and became the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science in 1844. In 1855 its name changed to Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science. In 1911 the name was shortened to Royal Society of Tasmania.
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