December, igil. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



459 



\ariahles be in pairs ? \\'h\- siiould binaries be 

 variable and often doubh" variable ? In each case 

 the probabilitv against chance runs into sextillions. 

 \\'h\- are thev associated with nebulae ? Consider 

 again the form and character of nebulae. Why 

 should the spirals be always double ? Why are the 

 planetar\- nebulae often sphere in sphere and hav-e 

 centres e.xactK- as deduced? Why should double spiral 

 nebulae be amongst nebulae where stars are scarce, 

 save that, as deduced. the\' are formed b\- the 

 impact of nebulae ? Wh\- should the planetar\- 

 nebulae be where the stars are thick, clearly because, 

 as deduced. the\' are produced bv the impact of 

 stars? .Are not the temporary variable, double, and 

 Wolf- Ra vet stars also where stars are thick ? Is not 

 the answer obvious, because, \shere stars are thick, 

 there will be a maximum of stellar collisions, and all 

 these kind of stars are deduced as the offspring of 

 stellar collisions. 



The Drvr. Character of The CiAi.axv 

 Demonstr.\ted. 



Then, when we come to the Galax\-. what other 

 conception is possible that could produce such a 

 marvellous and singular set of contrasts and 

 correspondences, but the impact of two formerh- 

 independent stellar s\stems? Here Professor 

 Kapteyn's demonstrations are all-important. He 

 concludes his magnificent address to the Dutch 



.Science Congress in the following words: — "The 

 stellar system was not originally a single system 

 in which the two known drifts or currents have 

 developed: but the present system is the result of 

 the encounter of two systems wliich originally were 

 entirelv independent of each other. 



The primordial matter is now more abundant in 

 the drift of less star-density, and is almost entirely 

 absent from the opposite drift, which is richer in 

 stars." 



Clearly in this primordial material we have the 

 cosmic system of the first order that a study of 

 natural law has shown must grow up in the 

 unoccupied parts of space, and the other constituent 

 is clearh- a stellar system of greater maturitv. 



Surely such a fertile generalization should be used 

 as a working hypothesis to guide research, and that 

 at once. If it is true as able thinkers sav that 

 the neglect to use it in the past has retarded 

 astronom\- a decade, all haste should be made that 

 the several threads suggested should be followed 

 and woven into a fabric in which ever\- thread 

 has its allotted place and ]iurpose : so that this 

 glorious science, astronomy, instead of being a 

 mere chaos of facts, instead of apparenth' pointing 

 to eternal death, shall show itself to be a consist- 

 ent system of creation without evidence of a begin- 

 ning or promise of an end. infinite and flawless. 



0\^CR^M OF COSMIC EVOLUTION 



APPPnOftCH of BODIES ' 



THfvxc BOD1C9 . onerrs iNorrsRMiMhTE 



l»*enC*5E0 SOMCTIMES 5wfriti(MTi.» TO ESCAPE 



OOltS 



TtMO OOOICS IMPACT 





T>V3» Imtialls offu" ■'\U«jlvfui 



CeAji rtu^\*(uUl UocK tWi^ iiuo< (OEQ 



CINTlOtl. OOJtLtKtO VttA^ 



I 



Sf/. 



'/iXi 



/vaOt^tAM 



RCCtON or H(CV* POTKMTIAC 



rOKMJUTIOM or COSWIC SV^EMS 

 Of TH« 



FtHST ORDLR 



Sit SeUtUw M(4.ttUrEflt4)t'l*iJ"tr4. vnaU. 

 Imports t«nJi/ig U KR."rt t^J HJOJtJ 



b«u\^ (n tKt lutduU MfcfUn tflta^'iny 

 oltcijttlier. 



Figure 5. 

 Diagram taken from Professor Bickerton's "' Romance of the Heavens." 



19{)(). 



Kapteyn, by summing up bis own theory, Greenwich and others' observation, has now satisfied himself that our Galactic Universe is 

 made up of two interpenetrating systems, one of them primordial, that is of the first order, as shown to be forming below the 



centre of the diagram. 



