Talk:61 Cygni

The planet around 61 Cygni B was first reported in the 1890s by the American astronomer Thomas J. J. See (1867-1960), then at the Leander McCormack Observatory. See specialized in studying binary stars to determine their orbits, and it was the gravitational effect of this planet on the motion of 61 Cyg B that led him to submit an article claiming a third object in the 61 Cyg system. He did not claim a planet, but any astronomer checking his figures could see this was no star. The resultant controversy effectively destroyed See's career, and he was forced to leave his post. He wound up doing mathematical work for the Naval Observatory, and long outlived his foes.

If this is true, it belongs in the article, not on the talk page. The Singing Badger 13:47, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC)

If 61 Cygni really has a planet, then why it is not in the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia? All the old planet "discoveries" by astrometry have been disproven, because the observations were way too imprecise (radial velocity surveys could have spotted them). Only one planet have been confirmed astrometrically so far (Gliese 876 b) by Hubble Space Telescope.

Note that there is another star in a binary system, 16 Cygni B that indeed has a very eccentric planet. Jyril 14:07, 27 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I just realised you're right, I mistook 16 Cygni for 61 Cygni. What a berk I am! Sorry... The Singing Badger 18:05, 27 Nov 2004 (UTC)