GAMMA VIRGIN1S 225 



ii bo stood in wondering awe before ibe bole 

 lie heaven* 



lewchel fell into imnUken regarding double 



Mtars cannot and n---d n<>t U- <i. -ni. !. It SJSJ ntlfOl& 



that 1)1. rii-j ti.i\. 11. r in an unexplored region. 



i lea distant from our earth, nhoul<l - 

 tracing paths, measuring time, and estimat 

 Unces. Ho failed in his calculations with / Virginia, 

 represented as two companions that revolved 



1 a common centre in 708 years. His son by a 

 careful discussion of the observations made sine* 

 showed that the time of revolution was not 708 years 

 but" \vasalso predict. -1 tint the small, r ..f th- 



two companions would reach the point where 

 nearest the larger in the beginning of 1834 Even 

 these revised calculations proved to be incorrect 



1 not reach that point till two years later. 

 Observations of the star were then renewed 

 several years; new calculations were made, and the 

 time of revolution of the lesser companion round the 

 greater was f.-un i to be 182 years. Hut it came out 

 that the orbit of 1834, with the time 513 years, was 

 nearly the same, in part of its course, as the true orbit, 

 and was " a curious example, and by no means the first 

 in the history of the progress of discovery, where of 

 two possible course*, each at the moment equally 

 plausible, the wrong has been chosen." 1 



Herachel's study of the fixed stars and of the 

 unity of plan in nature went farther than we have 



raced. A paper read by him in 1814 contains 

 the following facts, that might almost have been pro- 

 phecies of wonders in store for men " Stars although 



1 JHi'n. JZfc., 1848, 182-**. 

 '5 



