2 \ 'A. .'CBKOTRY'S PROGRESS IN ASTRONOMY. 



directed the course of nineteenth century re- 

 search. As an astronomical observer he has 

 never been surpassed. In the breadth of his 

 views he was equalled only by Newton ; and 

 indeed he excelled Newton in his unwearied 

 observations and his sweeping conceptions of 

 the Universe. To quote his own remark to the 

 poet Campbell, he " looked farther into space 

 than ever human being did before him." 



Herschel studied astronomy in all its aspects. 

 In all the branches of modern astronomy he was a 

 pioneer. He observed the Sun, Moon, and planets, 

 devoting special attention to Mars and Saturn. 

 He doubled the diameter of the Solar System 

 by the discovery of Uranus. He discovered 

 several satellites and studied comets. He was 

 pre-eminently the founder of sidereal astronomy. 

 He discovered binary stars, thus tracing the law 

 of gravitation in the distant star -depths; while 

 to him is due the credit of the discovery of the 

 motion of the Solar System. He founded the 

 study of star-clusters and nebulae, propounded 

 the nebular hypothesis, and devised two methods 

 of star -gauging. Above all, he was the first 

 to attempt the solution of one of the noblest 

 problems ever attacked by man the structure 

 of the Universe. In fact, the latter problem 

 was the end and aim of his observations. As 



