20 FROM NEBULA TO NEBULA 



my material into the least possible compass. However, 

 I comfort myself with the reflection that the handful of 

 persons who may be drawn to read a work of this charac- 

 ter will doubtless already be sufficiently familiar with 

 the general facts of astronomy as to be able to supply 

 from their own store of knowledge whatever may in- 

 advertently be missing. To the scattered few who do not 

 belong to this class, but who desire to improve their 

 knowledge in this field, I respectfully recommend Flam- 

 marion and Gore 's Popular Astronomy as incomparably 

 the best general work, both for text and illustration, that 

 has come under my notice. As a periodical stimulus to 

 keep one's interest constantly aflame in this, the noblest 

 and most enthralling of secular subjects, I would mention, 

 with earnest commendation, the magazine of the same 

 name, Popular Astronomy, published at Northfield, Minn. 



In order to give the reader a general idea of my 

 system, before plunging into its detailed discussion and 

 proofs, I respectfully invite his attention to the following 

 list of a few of the 



NOVEL FEATURES OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM 



1. The present order of the universe is potentially 

 eternal. 



2. Newton's law of gravitation is literally exact in 

 nature. 



3. Hotness is the normal and persisting state of 

 matter while under pressure. The sun is therefore per- 

 ennially self -heating, and the temperature of stars is a 

 function of their mass. 



4. The fundamental law of equilibrium, namely, 

 that freely falling bodies seek their lowest center of 

 gravity, is of the prime essence of gravitation, and science 



