THE PARALLAX OF FIXED STARS. 169 



Thus light, which travels at the rate of 190,000 miles 

 every second, requires 15 years to come to us from stars 

 of the first magnitude, and 120 years to come from one 

 of those small stars which are just visible to the naked 

 eye. These results can, of course, only be regarded as 

 provisional, until sufficient observations are collected for 

 a more thorough investigation of the subject ; but it is 

 not too much to expect that ere long a similar table for at 

 least the brighter stars may be constructed, founded on 

 unquestionable data. 



