ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAVENS. 77 



the milky-way, which mud occafion a very powerful balance 

 of oppofite attractions, to hold the intermediate ftars in a ftate 

 of reft. For, though our fun, and all the ftars we fee, may 

 truly be faid to be in the plane of the milky-way, yet I am now 

 convinced, by a long inflection and continued examination of 

 it, that the milky-way itfelf confifts of ftars very differently 

 fcattered from thofe which are immediately about us. But of 

 this, more will be faid on another occafion. 



From the detached fitualion of infulated ftars, it appears that initiated ftara 

 they are capable of being the centres of extenfive planetary ma y ^f the cen- 



f a /^r.t- i • r- r u- / ters of planetary 



iy Items. Of this we have a convincing proof in our iun, which, fyftems. 



according to our claffification, is one of thefe ftars. Now, as 

 we enjoy the advantage of being able to view the folar fyftem 

 in all its parts, by means of our telefcopes, and are therefore 

 fufficiently acquainted with it, there will be no occafion to enter 

 into a detail of its conftruclion. 



The queftion will now arife, whether every infulated ftar be Probably they 

 a fun like ours, attended with planets, fatellites, and numerous are { '' 

 comets ? And here, as nothing appears againft the fuppofition, 

 we may from analogy admit the probability of it. But, were 

 we to extend this argument to other fidereal conftruclions, or, 

 ftill farther, to every ftar of the heavens, as has been done fre- 

 quently, I mould not only hefitate, but even think that, from 

 what will be faid of ftars which enter into complicated fidereal 

 fyftems, the contrary is far more likely to be the cafe; and but the compli- 

 that, probably, we can only look for folar fyftems among in- probably 'ncrt^ 

 fulated ftars. 



II. Of Binary fidereal Syjlems, or double Stars, 



The next part in the conftruclion of the heavens, that offers 2 * Double ftars, 

 itfelf to our confideration, is the union of two ftars, that are 

 formed together into one fyftem, by the laws of attraction. 



If a certain ftar fiiould be fituated at any, perhaps immenfe, 

 diftance behind another, and but very little deviating from the 

 line in which we fee the firft, we mould then have the ap- 

 pearance of a double ftar. But thefe ftars, being totally uncon- 

 nected, would not form a binary fyftem. If, on the contrary, 

 two ftars fhould really be fituated very near each other, and at 

 the fame time fo far infulated as not to be materially aftecled orftarsrev °M n ff 

 by the attractions of neighbouring ftars, they will then compofe center 

 a feparate fyftem, and remain united by the bond of their own 



mutual 



