Classics of modern science : $b (Copernicus to Pasteur)
History
Classics of modern science : $b (Copernicus to Pasteur)
Science; Science -- History
But that we may not be too precipitate in these new decisions, let us
enter more at large into the various grounds which induced us formerly
to surmise, that every visible object, in the extended and distant
heavens, was of the starry kind, and collate them with those which now
offer themselves for the contrary opinion. It has been observed, on a
former occasion, that all the smaller parts of other great systems,
such as the planets, their rings and satellites, the comets, and such
other bodies of the like nature as may belong to them, can never be
perceived by us, on account of the faintness of light reflected from
small opaque objects: in the present remarks, therefore, all these are
to be entirely set aside.
A well connected series of objects, such as mentioned above, has led
us to infer that all nebulæ consist of stars. This being admitted, we
were authorized to extend our analogical way of reasoning a little
further. Many of the nebulæ had no other appearance than that whitish
cloudiness, on the blue ground on which they seemed to be projected;
and why the same cause should not be assigned to explain the most
extensive nebulosities, as well as those that amounted only to a
few minutes of a degree in size, did not appear. It could not be
inconsistent to call up a telescopic milky way, at an immense distance,
to account for such a phenomenon; and if any part of the nebulosity
seemed detached from the rest, or contained a visible star or two,
the probability of seeing a few near stars, apparently scattered over
the far distant regions of myriads of sidereal collections, rendered
nebulous by their distance, would also clear up these singularities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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