aj5 Mr, Herschel on the 



hundreds of nebula which are to be feeii In what I have called 

 the nebulous flratum of Coma Berenices. It appears from the 

 extended and branching figure of our nebuLi, that there is room 

 for the decompofed fmall nebula of a large, reduced, former 

 great one to approach nearer to us in the fides than in other 

 parts. Nay, pofllbly, there might originally be another very 

 large joining branch, which in time became feparated by the 

 condenfation of the ftars ; and this may be the reafon of the 

 little remaining breadth of cur fyRem in that very place : for 

 the nebulae of the ftratum of the Coma are brighteft and mofl". 

 crowded jufl: oppofite our fituationj or in the pole of our fyftem/ , 

 As foon as this idea was fjggefted, I tried alfo the oppofite pole, 

 where accordingly I have met with a great number of nebula,; 

 •though under a much mors fcattered form. ' 



An Opening in the heavens. 



Some parts of our lyflem indeed feem already to have fuf- 

 tained greater ravages of time than others j if this way of ex-- 

 prefiing myfelf may be allowed ; for inflance, in the body of 

 the Scorpion is^yan opening, or hole, w^hich is probably owing to 

 this caufe. 1 found it while I was gaging in the parallel fronii 

 112 to 1 14 degrees of north poiar diflance. As I approached > 

 the milky way, the.gageshad been gradually running up from 

 9,7 to I 7,1 ; when, all of a fudden, they fell down to nothing, 

 a very few pretty large flars excepted, which made them fheW' 

 0,5, 0,7, I5I, 1,4, 1,8; after which they again rofe to 4,7, 

 13, 5j 2C)j3, and foon after to 41,1. This opening is at leaft 

 4 degrees broad, but its height I have not yet afcertained. It^ 

 ■is remarkable, that the 80 Nebuleufe fans etoiles of the G?«* 

 ''mijfance des Temps, which is one of the richeft and mofl com- 



prefl'ed 



