THE STELLAH UNIVERSE. 



Fig. 30 is the same object as shown in the telescope of Lord 

 Rosse. This drawing was made with the smaller telescope, three 

 feet aperture, before the great telescope had been erected. The 

 nebula was observed seven times in 1848, and once in 1849. "With 

 the large telescope, the central opening showed considerably more 

 nebulosity than it appeared to have with the smaller instrument. 

 It was also noticed, that several small stars were seen around it 

 with the large instrument, which did not appear with the smaller 

 one, from which it was inferred that the stars seen in the dark 

 opening of the ring may possibly be merely accidental, and have 

 no physical relation to the nebula. In the annulus near the 

 extremity of the minor axis, several minute stars were visible. 



85. Spiral Nebula. The discovery of this class of objects, the 

 most extraordinary and unexpected which modern research has 

 yet disclosed in stellar astronomy, is due to Lord Rosse. Their 

 general form and character may be conceived by referring to 

 those represented in figs. 32 and 34. These extraordinary 



Fig. 31. 



forms are so entirely removed from all analogy with any of the 

 phenomena presented either in the motions of the solar system, 

 or the comets, or those of any other objects to which observation 

 has been directed, that all conjecture as to the physical condition 

 30 



