ConJlruSlkn of the Heavens, z^y 



prefied cluiler^ of fmall fl:ars I remember to have feen, is 

 iituated juft on the weftern border of it, and would almoft au- 

 thorife a fufplclon that the ftars, of wliich it is compofed, were 

 collected from that place, and had left the vacancy. What adds 

 not a little to this furmife is, that the fame pha^nomenon is 

 once more repeated with the fourth clufler of ilars of the 

 Cojitioijfance des Temps ; which is alfo on the weftern border of 

 another vacancy, and has moreover a fmall, miniature clufter, 

 or eafily refolvabie nebula of about 2| minutes in diameter, 

 north following it, at no very great diilance. 



Phi^nomcna at the Poles of our Nebula, 



I ought to obferve, that there is a remarkable purity or clear-v 

 nefs in the heavens when we look out of our ftratum at the 

 fides; that is, towards Leo, Virgo, and Coma Berenices, on one 

 hand, and towards : Cetus on the other; whereas the ground 

 of the heavens becomes troubled as we approach towards the 

 length or height of it. ■ It was a good while before I could 

 trace the caufc of thefe phasnomena ; bat fince I have been 

 acquainted with the fliape of our fyftem, it is plain that thefe 

 troubled appearances, when we approach to the fides, are eafily 

 to be explained by afcribing them to fome of ihe diflant, flrag- 

 gling ftars, that yield hardly light enough to be diftinguiOiecL 

 And 1 have, indeed, often experienced this to be actually the 

 caufe, by examining thefe troubled fpots for a k >^; while toge- 

 ther, when, at lafl:, 1 generally perceived the ftai t v/hich occa- 

 fioned them. But when we look towards the ^ poles of our 

 fyflem, where the vifual ray does not graze along .tl;s fide, the ^ 



Vol. LXXV. L 1 ftraggling' 



