2.8 Mr, Herschel on the 



thofe of the third at treble the diftnnce, and fo forth. It is not 

 neceffary critically to examine what quantity of light or mag- 

 nitude of a ftar intltles it to be eftimated of fuch or fuch a pro- 

 portional diftance, as the common coarfe eftimation will anfwer 

 our prefent purpofe as well; taking it then for granted, that a 

 flar of the feventh magnitude is about fcven times as far as 

 one of the hrft, it follows, that an obferver, who is inclofed 

 an a globular cl after of ftars, and not far from the center, will 

 never be able, with the naked eye, to fee to the end of it : for,, 

 iince, according to the above eftimations, he can only extend his 

 view to about feven tunes the diftance of Sirius, it cannot be 

 expelled that his eyes fhould r?ach the borders of a clufter 

 which has perhaps not lefs than fifty flars in depth every where 

 around him. The whole univerfe, therefore, to him will be 

 comprifed in a fet of conftellations, richly ornamented with 

 fcattered ftars of all fizes. Or if the united brightnefs of a 

 neighbouring clufter of ftars fliould, in a remarkable clear 

 night, reach his fight, it will put on the appearance of a fmall, 

 faint, whitifti, nebulous cloud, not to be perceived without 

 the greateft attention. To pafs by other lituations, let him 

 be placed in a much extended ftratum, or branching clufter of 

 millions of ftars, fuch as may fall under the IIF form of ne- 

 bulae conftdered in a foregoing paragraph. Here alfo the hea- 

 vens will not only be richly fcattered over with brilliant con- 

 ftellations, but a ftiinlng zone or milky way will be perceived 

 to furround the whole fphere of the heavens, owing to the 

 combined light of thofe ftars which are too fmall, that is, too 

 remote to be feen. Our obferver's fight will be fo confined, 

 that he will imagine this fingle colleftion of ftars, of which he 

 does not even perceive the thoufandth part, to be the whole 

 contents of the heavens. Allowing him now the ufe of a 

 4 common 



