i8o 



Trees, Stars, and Birds 



from many points in- 

 stead of one, and except 

 sometimes when near 

 the horizon shines with 

 a steady gleam. 



The Milky Way. On 

 any clear and moonless 

 night you can see the 

 Milky Way or Galaxy, 

 a gauzy band of light 

 stretching across the 

 heavens. If the earth 

 were not in the way 

 you would see that it 

 extends in a complete 

 circle around the sky. 

 It is several times the 

 breadth of the moon, 

 but irregular and of 

 uneven brightness. For 

 a distance it is divided 

 into two bands. The 

 Chinese call it the Celestial River ; the North American 

 Indians, the Road of Souls. It is composed of millions 

 of stars. Very few of the stars in the Milky Way are 

 bright enough to be seen by the unaided eye, but 

 together they send to your eyes enough light to make 

 an impression, provided you are not receiving much 

 light from the moon or other sources. These stars are 

 much farther away than any of the bright stars. 



FIG. 116. A photograph through a tele- 

 scope of a portion of the Milky Way. 



