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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



opinion seems quite inconsistent with 

 the real condition of things. There is 

 no doubt whatever that amateur work 

 will always be pretty much to the fore, 

 and possibly rank in value with that of 

 the best professional talent. 



The field is wide enough for each to 

 distinguish himself, the harvest of ob- 

 jects so extensive that every kind of 

 student may reap a share. Much the 

 same array of circumstances will con- 

 tinue as obtained a century ago— the 

 professional and the amateur will work 

 with increasing numbers and energy 

 towards the goal of a more complete 

 knowledge. 



It must be remembered that many of 

 our professional astronomers were 

 amateurs at first, and showed such 

 ability and proficiency that they were 

 invited into the professional ranks. As 

 examples of this, there are Barnard, 

 Burnham, and many others in America. 

 If the history of astronomy be con- 

 sulted, the names of distinguished 

 amateurs will be found in every suc- 

 ceeding generation, who have effected 

 valuable work in astronomy. It is re- 

 markable that they have achieved so 

 much, considering the obstacles often 

 impeding them, such as want of time, 

 lack of "means, and suitable training. 

 There are greater numbers of the or- 

 dinary population than is generally 

 supposed who occupy themselves in as- 

 tronomy as a hobby, and those few 

 among them who love the science suffi- 

 ciently to pursue it in spite of the diffi- 

 culties confronting them, and are im- 

 pelled onward by success, usually com- 

 prise men of real ability and aptitude 

 for the work. They have naturally 

 risen above the rank and file, and rep- 

 resent "the survival of the fittest." 



The amateur can do good work in 

 nearly every department, but there are 

 some' which apparently suit his_ capa- 

 bilities and inclinations in a special de- 

 gree. These I need not mention, as 

 they are sufficiently obvious to every- 

 one acquainted with the. subject. To 

 amateurs of means of course there is 

 hardly any limit to the extent of the 

 valuable services they may render the 

 science,— "Knowledge." 



Some Good Suggestions. 



It is one of the very pleasant things 

 about astronomy that each instrument 

 has its own field and that the building 

 of a great observatory by no means les- 

 sens the opportunity to do good work 

 at the same time with a small instru- 

 ment. Even much may be done with- 

 out any instrument at all — all that is 

 needed is a pair of eyes and devoted 

 work. For example, the workers in a 

 large observatory would not close their 

 building and go out to watch the paths 

 of meteors and shooting stars hour 

 after hour, as these litte bodies con- 

 tinually appear on the sky. They 

 would leave this interesting work for 

 one who had no telescopes. And even 

 these observations systematically pur- 

 sued have a high value. From them 

 we now know that there are hundreds of 

 streams going about the sun, into 

 which our earth plunges at the same 

 dates each year. Another naked eye 

 subject for study is the Zodiacal Light : 

 much is yet to be learned of this, for 

 its fluctuations of brightness are as yet 

 wholly unexplained. 



In short there is work for everyone. 

 That that of amateurs holds its place is 

 evident from the numerous accounts of 

 amateur discoveries and work that are 

 to be found each month in our astro- 

 nomical journal?. — Prof. Eric Doolittle. 



What friend is so lavish as she at our door? 

 She ever holds out to us more, and still more : 

 But though open-handed, the best of it all 

 Is the nature of riches that never can pall. 



— Emma Peirce. 



Are Southern Skies Really More Bril- 

 liant Than Those of the North? 



BY STAFFORD C. EDWARDS, WKST BRIGHTON, 

 NEW YORK. 



I desire to submit to any one having 

 personal knowledge of the subject a 

 question of astronomical interest. Rec- 

 ollections from the lecture room while 

 pursuing the subject in college, bring 

 to mind the statement often heard that 

 the stars visible in the southern hemi- 

 sphere far eclipse in brightness those 

 of the north. Some textbooks speak of 

 the particularly brilliant constellations 

 of the southern skies. Various writers 

 and lecturers make use of the expres- 

 sion, "the beautiful Southern^ Cross," 

 surpassing in brilliancy anything seen 

 in the northern skies. Last year I 

 sailed from Panama south on the Pa- 

 cific to lower Peru, making the return 

 trip about five months later. Having 

 given some attention to elementary as- 



