180 Star anfr Meatber Gossip 



taining anything of unusual interest. But if a fine 

 night be chosen, and the centre star of the three be 

 looked at fixedly, a tiny misty spot will come into 

 view. That tiny misty spot is the renowned stupen- 

 dous Nebula of Orion, the like of which the whole 

 starry sky cannot produce. 



I do not know that anything in the wide heavens 

 has since quite so impressed me with such an air of 

 awful mysteriousness as did that nebula, when, one 

 very dark night, in a secluded spot, I first looked at 

 it through a small telescope. I did, indeed, feel that 

 I was gazing out into the deepest depths of space and 

 seeing Nature silently and steadfastly at work in star- 

 making. 



That changes in this vast nebula do occur is certain, 

 but that it will require many centuries of observation 

 to reveal them is equally certain. No message of any 

 such change has so far been transmitted across the 

 mighty gulf that separates us from the nebula, for I 

 do not think that too much reliance should be placed 

 upon any alleged alterations of form shown in hand 

 drawings. I think it would be pretty conclusive 

 evidence, however, were any marked change made 

 manifest in a good photograph after the most careful 

 comparison, not with a drawing, but with another 

 good photograph. 



It is significant that the nebula should contain a 

 great many variable stars. Further, it is interesting 

 that three distinct gases should have been discovered in 

 it. Perhaps, therefore, when this great Orion Nebula 

 has evolved into a glittering star-cluster, those stars 

 will exhibit a variety of colours even more approxi- 

 mating to Herschel's " superb piece of fancy jewel- 



