Key Takeaways:
- Kapteyn's Star, initially cataloged as "Cordoba Zone 5 hours 243," exhibits a high proper motion of 8.7 arcseconds per year.
- The star's discovery in 1897 was a collaborative effort between Jacobus Kapteyn, a formally trained astronomer, and Robert Innes, an amateur astronomer who later transitioned to a professional role.
- The initial location data for Kapteyn's Star proved inaccurate, leading to its rediscovery in a different sky position.
- While initially holding the record for fastest-moving star as observed from Earth, Kapteyn's Star has since been surpassed by Barnard's Star.
Kapteyn’s Star sails through the sky at a rate of 8.7″ a year. This chart shows where the star has been, and where it’s headed.
Astronomy: Roen Kelly
Jacobus Kapteyn and Robert Innes discovered Kapteyn’s Star — originally named “Cordoba Zone 5 hours 243” because of its location — in 1897. Kapteyn was in Holland analyzing photographic plates taken at the Cape Observatory in South Africa, and Innes was an assistant at the Cape Observatory. Kapteyn did not find a star in its documented location and asked Innes to look for it in the sky. Innes found the star, but it was east of where it should have been. They had discovered the fastest moving star across the sky (the record, however, has since been broken by Barnard’s Star).
Even though Kapteyn and Innes worked together, their backgrounds couldn’t have been more different. While Kapteyn was a college and graduate-trained astronomer, Innes was an amateur-turned-professional, with no formal education.
