MIRACLES OF SCIENCE 



the repeated measurements of the nearest star are so 

 in accord that we may confidently assume that they 

 are accurate within one-tenth of a second. 



And this is the equivalent of one-eighth of an inch 

 at forty miles. 



If we reduce the results of this measurement to 

 figures, it appears that the distance of the nearest 

 star (it is called Alpha Centauri) is nearly 26,000,- 

 000,000,000 miles with a latitude, as Professor H. 

 B. Curtis of Lick Observatory cautions us, of perhaps 

 two hundred billion miles for errors or inaccuracy 

 of observation. But this star is very neighborly 

 indeed; for the next nearest is'twice as far away, and 

 the generality of the measured stars are forty or 

 fifty times as distant. 



Meantime it must be understood that only a very 

 small company of stars are near enough to show any 

 parallax whatever, even under the magnifying powers 

 of the most powerful existing telescopes. With these 

 few hundred exceptions, the vast myriads of stars 

 that sprinkle thephotographic plate like dust, show 

 no discernible change of position when viewed from 

 the opposite ends of our 186,000,000 mile base line. 



Of course telescope and photographic plate, how- 

 ever perfected, can tell only of shift of position across 

 the line of sight. A star might be coming directly 

 toward us or receding directly for an indefinite period 

 without shifting its position on the photographic 

 plate. But here, as we have seen, the spectroscope 

 steps in to record "line of sight" motion in either 

 direction. 



It makes no difference at all that the star may 



