CHARTING THE UNIVERSE 



The suggestion implies no obvious improbability. 

 The entire visible universe might well enough be one 

 vast spiral nebula, revolving about a central body or 

 about a center of gravity in empty space. But this 

 is sheer conjecture. It will remain for the star- 

 gazers of the ensuing decades, through comparison 

 of photographic star charts taken at long intervals, 

 to find out whether this or something totally differ- 

 ent is the general scheme of the universe. 



Meantime the astronomers of our own day, with 

 their studies of the groupings and streamings of the 

 nearer stars, have given us clear glimpses into cer- 

 tain secrets of the celestial mechanism that only yes- 

 terday belonged not merely to the unknown but 

 seemingly to the unknowable. 



