Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel

The ideas here are retold from the historical record, drawn from the sources each event cites. Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel never posted on Veritula. To report a mistake, email veritula@dennishackethal.com.

Chronicled events

1. 1838·​A Star Shifts at Last
   #5814

   The parallax is there, only tiny. Over the year, 61 Cygni moves back and forth by 0.31 seconds of arc either way against two fainter stars beside it, just as it should if the Earth circles the Sun. The stars are simply that far away: 61 Cygni is about 660,000 times farther from us than the Sun.