Abstract
When a double line in the spectrum of a binary star is blended, there is an apparent displacement of the lines, which might give rise to serious errors in the measured velocities. The theory of this blending effect is discussed and graphs are presented to display the magnitude of the effect under various conditions. It is also shown that, where stellar rotation is the primary cause of line broadening, blending may give rise to a spurious line tripling, which could conceivably lead to gross misinterpretations of the spectrum.

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