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a Centauri, and the Absolute Size of the Fixed Stars. By 
PrAzz1 SMy tu, Professor of Astronomy in the University 
of Edinburgh, F.R.S.E., &e. Communicated by the Author. 
The absolute size of the fixed stars, and the place of our 
sun amongst them, has been, from the first ages of astronomy, 
a question which has excited the keenest inquiry and the 
most extended speculation, but has always baffled the search. 
Many, however, even at an early period of the science, flat- 
tered themselves that they had determined both the distance 
and the size of those bodies ; but they were invariably found 
to be wrong by the succeeding age, which again, in its turn, 
flattered itself with having arrived at the great desideratum, 
and was in its turn disappointed. Absurdly close and miser- 
ably small were the stars made at first, before the develop- 
ment of science enlarged men’s minds and their powers of 
contemplation and perception; but every successive deter- 
mination gradually expanded the bounds, until at last, when 
true methods of philosophy were adopted, it was confessed 
that the distance of the stars was so great as to be utterly 
immeasurable by our best instruments ; while of their ab- 
solute size, from that reason, in addition to their not present- 
ing any visible disc, no guess even could be made. 
In this unsatisfactory state the question long remained, the 
solution being constantly attempted the while, but never with 
success, until at length, a few years since, Professor Hender- 
son, from his observations at the Cape of Good Hope, deter- 
mined the distance of @ Centauri, and Bessel that of 61 Cygni. 
The results they arrived at, are now conclusively received by 
all astronomers ; and those two stars are still the only two of 
which the distance from our system is certainly known. 
The fact of the great barrier, which had obstructed our 
excursions into the realms of space, having actually been 
overleapt in two points, was rapturously received as an ear- 
nest and a prelude of its being soon passed at many more, 
and before lung being broken down altogether: and such a 
spirit there was amongst astronomers; but it has not yet 
been productive of the expected consequences. M. Peters, 
certainly, of the Pulkowa Observatory, fancies that he has 
