Side-Lights on Astronomy and Kindred Fields of Popular Science — John Shaqi
Side-Lights on Astronomy and Kindred Fields of Popular ScienceNewcomb, Simon
Science
Side-Lights on Astronomy and Kindred Fields of Popular Science
Newcomb, Simon
Astronomy; Compass; Flying-machines; Hyperspace; Learning and scholarship; Rain-making
Even if this were not found at the distance which we have supposed, it
is quite certain that, at some greater distance, we should at least
find that the region of the Milky Way is richer in stars than the
region near the galactic poles. There is strong reason, based on the
appearance of the stars of the Milky Way, their physical constitution,
and their magnitudes as seen in the telescope, to believe that, were we
placed on one of these stars, we should find the stars around us to be
more thickly strewn than they are around our system. In other words,
the quota of space filled by each star is probably less in the region
of the Milky Way than it is near the centre where we seem to be
situated.
We are, therefore, presented with what seems to be the most
extraordinary spectacle that the universe can offer, a ring of stars
spanning it, and including within its limits by far the great majority
of the stars within our system. We have in this spectacle another
example of the unity which seems to pervade the system. We might
imagine the latter so arranged as to show diversity to any extent. We
might have agglomerations of stars like those of the Milky Way situated
in some corner of the system, or at its centre, or scattered through it
here and there in every direction. But such is not the case. There are,
indeed, a few star-clusters scattered here and there through the
system; but they are essentially different from the clusters of the
Milky Way, and cannot be regarded as forming an important part of the
general plan. In the case of the galaxy we have no such scattering, but
find the stars built, as it were, into this enormous ring, having
similar characteristics throughout nearly its whole extent, and having
within it a nearly uniform scattering of stars, with here and there
some collected into clusters. Such, to our limited vision, now appears
the universe as a whole.
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