X THE STARRY HEAVENS 387 



slum, etc., in all 36 of our terrestrial ele- 

 ments, while as regards some others the 

 evidence is not conclusive. We cannot as 

 yet say that any of our elements are absent, 

 nor though there are various lines which can- 

 not as yet be certainly referred to any known 

 substance, have we clear proof that the Sun 

 contains any element which does not exist on 

 our earth. On the whole, then, the chemical 

 composition of- the Sun appears closely to 

 resemble that of our earth. 



THE PLANETS 



The Syrian shepherds watching their flocks 

 by night long ago noticed — and they were 

 probably not the first — that there were five 

 stars which did not follow the regular course 

 of the rest, but, apparently at least, moved 

 about irregularly. These they appropriately 

 named Planets, or wanderers. 



Further observations have shown that this ir- 

 regularity of their path is only apparent, and 

 that, like our own Earth, they really revolve 

 round the Sun. To the five first observed — 



