BickERTON.—On the Origin of the Visible Universe. 177 
degrees wide, extending around the heavens, including the milky way. * 
* * This belt will include one-fourth the surface of the celestial sphere, 
* * * Here we find nine-tenths of the star-clusters, and one-tenth 
of the nebulw.” In another paper I shall attempt to show that most 
likely these few nebule are not of the same order as the polar nebule. 
Proctor, who discussed these facts very fully, after showing that star- 
clusters. essentially belong to the galaxy, and, as we pass from that 
great circle, we go through regular stages of lessening solvability to 
the galactic poles, and there the nebule are completely irresolvable, 
says:—''I believe that cause may be assumed not unreasonably to be 
the difference in the circumstances under which the galactic and extra- 
galactic nebule have reached their present state." Again, in respect 
to the nebule at the poles of the milky way, Proctor shows that every 
theory of their existence is ridiculous, ‘‘ unless we concede that the nebule 
belong for the most part to our galactic system.” The accompanying 
charts and sketches by Sidney Waters, Proctor, and Newcombe, show 
strikingly this most remarkable arrangement. Thus, so far, we see that 
the milky way is a region of stars and star-clusters, and that the poles of 
this ring are regions of nebule. I shall now show that our sun occupies 
roughly the centre of this system, in a region poor in stars. Proctor says, 
after a very long discussion of the question, **all these phenomena point to 
the conclusion that the milky way, in this neighbourhood at any rate, is 
really what it appears to be—a belt or zone of stars, separated from us by 
a comparatively starless interval." After discussing various hypotheses, he 
says :—''In either case we must assume that our sun is not very far from 
the centre of the system." The picture of the universe we obtain from these 
extracts is a clear and distinct one. But perhaps the most striking argu- 
ment that has yet been offered for the common origin of the universe is that 
of the spectroscope; which shows identity in the composition of the sun 
and stars with the elements to be found in the earth. The analyses of 
meteorites, in which no extra terrestrial element has ever been found, clearly 
point to the same conclusion. 
. I wil give the opinions of a few astronomers on the evidence I have 
offered. Sir William Herschel distinctly states, that any sound theory of 
the universe must account for the peculiar arrangement of the nebule. 
Proctor, in speaking on grounds of probability, says :—'* Where the results 
are in direct contact, the rich regions for one order corresponding to the 
poor regions for the others, and vice versá, the two orders of objects belong 
to one system," and again says that he knows of no single reason for sup- 
posing these nebule to be external galaxies. That nebule are not external 
galaxies is proved from the facts recorded by Schmidt, Hind, and others, 
