STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE KAPTEYN. 319 



As complete observation and treatment of these numberless stars 

 is out of the question, the plan is confined to a set of samples dis- 

 tributed over the whole of the sky. 



CONCLUSION. 



If, at the end of this lecture, somebody summarizes what has been 

 discussed by saying that the results about the structure of the universe 

 are still very limited and not yet free from hypothetical elements, 

 I feel little inclined to contradict him. But I would answer him 

 by summing up in another way, viz : 



Methods are not wanting which, given the necessary observational 

 data obtainable in a moderate time, may lead us to a true, be it 

 provisionally still not very detailed, insight into the real distribution 

 of stars in space. 



I think this time need not exceed some fifteen years. They to 

 whom such a time may still seem somewhat long may be reminded 

 of the fact that that time will be elapsed, that we shall have finished 

 our work, before any but a very few of our nearest neighbors in 

 space can be aware of the fact that we have begun. 



