To return to the Astronomical Society. My attendance at its meetings, so long as I continued to live near Birmingham, was necessarily rare. On my removal to the neighbourhood of London it became more frequent, but even then my time was so fully occupied with more pressing duties that my attendance remained very irregular, and it totally ceased several years ago. I have, however, invariably read the “Monthly Notices” of the Society’s proceedings, and have thus benefited more, perhaps, than by mere attendance.
Still, as already stated, I have never contributed to the Society’s transactions, the truth being that up to the time of my becoming disabled for steady application to any difficult subject, my mind was so entirely engrossed with my official duties, that the little leisure I could obtain was necessarily devoted to recruiting my health.
Nevertheless, as already shown,[366] I have attempted something to promote my favourite science. The following is an instance of the kind:—
VARIABLE STARS.
On the 16th January, 1865, I addressed the following letter to my late excellent friend, Admiral Smyth:—
“My dear Admiral,—I have just completed the perusal of your very interesting volume on ‘The Colours of Double Stars,’ kindly presented to me by Dr. Lee in your name and his; and I thank you for the gratification it has afforded me.
“What you say on the subject of variable stars has called to my recollection an idea which first occurred to me shortly after the discovery of the periodicity of the increase and decrease in the number and frequency of solar spots. I am aware that such increase and decrease is not continuous, and that the variation is not such as materially to affect the Sun’s brightness. Still, in point of fact, is not our own Sun a variable star—however slightly—with a period, tolerably well defined, of about eleven years? And may not the more marked character of other variable stars be owing to similar causes to those which produce the spots in our sun, acting with greater regularity and intensity?
“If you think it deserving attention, pray favour me with your opinion of my theory. Possibly it may have been suggested previously, but if so, I am not aware of the fact.
“I remain, my dear Admiral, yours faithfully,
“Rowland Hill.