5 7o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



mere rudiment." Strange outlying wisps and streamers of light were 

 seen, extending far out into space. Yet more strange seemed the in- 

 ternal constitution of the object. So strange, indeed, did the nebula 

 appear, " so unlike what had hitherto been known of collections of 

 stars," that Sir John Herschel considered the evidence afforded by its 

 appearance as sufficient to warrant the conclusion of a non-stellar sub- 

 stance. 



But this eminent astronomer obtained a yet better view of the 

 great nebula when he transported to the Cape of Good Hope an in- 

 strument equal in power to that which he had applied to the northern 

 heavens. In the clear skies of the Southern Hemisphere the nebula 

 shines with a splendor far surpassing that which it has in northern 

 climes. It is also seen far higher above the horizon. Thus the draw- 

 ing which Sir J. Herschel was able to execute during his three years' 

 residence at the Cape is among the best views of the great nebula that 

 have ever been taken. But, even under these favorable circumstances, 

 Sir John records that " the nebula, through his great reflector, showed 

 not a symptom of resolution." 



Then Lassell turned his powerful mirror, two feet in diameter, 

 upon the unintelligible nebula. But, though he was able to execute a 

 remarkable drawing of the object, he could discern no trace of stellar 

 constitution. 



In 1845 Lord Rosse interrogated the great nebula with his three-feet 

 mirror. Marvellous were the complexity and splendor of the object 

 revealed to him, but not the trace of a star could be seen. 



The end was not yet, however. Encouraged by the success of the 

 three-feet telescope, Lord Rosse commenced the construction of one 

 four times as powerful. After long and persistent labors, and at a 

 cost, it is said, of 30,000, the great Parsonstown reflector, with its 

 wonderful sis-feet speculum, was directed to the survey of the heavens. 

 At Christmas, 1845, while the instrument was yet incomplete, and in 

 unfavorable weather, the giant tube was turned toward the Orion 

 nebula. Prof. Nichol was the first who saw the mysterious object as 

 pictured by the great mirror. Although the observation was not suc- 

 cessful so far as the resolution of the nebula was concerned, yet 

 Nichol's graphic account of the telescope's performance is well worth 

 reading : 



" Strongly attracted in youth by the lofty conceptions of Herschel," 

 he writes, " I may be apt to surround the incident I have to narrate 

 with feelings in so far of a personal origin and interest ; but, unless I 

 greatly deceive myself, there are few who would view it otherwise 

 than I. With an anxiety natural and profound, the scientific world 

 watched the examination of Orion by the six-feet mirror; for the 

 result had either to confirm Herschel's hypothesis in so far as human 

 insight ever could confirm it, or unfold among the stellar groups a 

 variety of constitution not indicated by those in the neighborhood of 



