The Astronomical Outlook 



is a mere point compared with this, and for most 

 of them their apparent drift across the heavens 

 does not amount to as much as this in a decade. 

 It will be necessary immensely to increase the 

 precision and number of our observations before 

 the requisite data can be obtained for attacking 

 many of the most important of the problems now 

 opening before us. The observations of the 

 great astronomers to come must as much exceed 

 in accuracy the best of those we are now able to 

 make as those of Bessel do those of Tycho. 

 Science and art must go hand in hand; the mathe- 

 matician, the optician, the mechanician and the 

 indefatigable observer must all co-operate to the 

 utmost of their ability, if we are to penetrate 

 much farther with our knowledge of the stellar 

 systems. At present we have only a few approx- 

 imate results as to the distances and motions of 

 the stars, their real magnitudes and personal 

 peculiarities, and there can hardly be a doubt 

 that the coming century will bring an immense 

 expansion of human knowledge in these direc- 

 tions. The "Theory of the Stellar Universe" 

 what a field of study as compared with the 

 " Planetary Theory, " or the still narrower" Lunar 

 Theory," each of which has engaged the atten- 

 tion of the ablest astronomers for long centuries ! 

 Truly horizons widen as we rise. 



When we come to consider in order our pros- 

 pects with respect to the "pending problems 

 of astronomy," we naturally look first at the 

 earth itself and the astronomical questions that 

 63 



