Page:In the high heavens.djvu/156

Fig. 23.—The Region of the Milky Way about β Cygni. Showing twelve bright stars.

topaz colour. On the other hand, the small and delicate blue companion shows a spectrum in which the strongest groups of lines occur in the orange, yellow, and part of the red.

There is no more pleasing phenomenon in sidereal astronomy than that presented by the contrasted hues often exhibited by double stars. It was, however, always in some degree a matter of uncertainty as to how far these varied hues were to be regarded as actually