1885-] 
Variable Stars. 
4 * 
difficulties in the way of the former supposition. Now every 
star must be the ruler of more or less extensive meteor sys- 
tems, although every star need not be so situated that the 
chiefest of these pass once in a revolution between itself and 
the Solar System. Algol, indeed, from his position, may 
fairly be deemed as occupying a position which would in a 
high degree enable him to collect into his system vast quan- 
tities of these tiny servitors. He is situated close by the 
Milky Way. Now if certain reasons which I have quite 
recently advanced elsewhere are valid, we must conclude 
that the GalaCtic Zone is crowded, more than any other 
portion of the heavens, with bodies of all sizes, from the 
mere atom to the mighty Sun. And it follows that the latter 
must subject to their sway much of the former matter. Our 
own Sun, though not situated within the GalaCtic Belt, is 
yet fairly off for meteoric attendants ; and how many more 
should those stars more favourably situated possess ? It is 
all but certain that the leading brilliants of the Milky Way 
are surrounded by enormous quantities. 
Let us now suppose our November Meteor System to be 
vastly recruited, especially in its richest portion, or in “ the 
gem of the ring ” as it is termed. Then we can see that, to 
an observer situated far out in space upon the produced plane 
of the orbit of the November meteorites, the passage of the 
gem of the ring across the Sun’s face, would cut off a con- 
siderable portion of the Sun’s light — quite as effectively, in 
faCt, as would the disproportionate planet, which the other 
theory requires. The figure which we have deduced for the 
planet’s orbit would make an excellent orbit for a meteor 
system ; it is, indeed, far more meteoric than planetary in 
form. It only remains to add that the total mass of a meteor 
system, to produce the observed diminution in the light of 
Algol, need only be a very small fraction of what would be 
necessary for a planet. 
Now at first sight it might appear that, although we have 
here a ready explanation of the variations of Algol, we are 
not so fortunate when we come to apply it to the case of 
Mira. As we have said, this star is invisible to the naked 
eye during five months of the year ; and it would be too 
much to ask us to believe that during all this time meteors 
are passing between this star and the Earth. Such an 
assumption would be almost as absurd as the satellite 
assumption. But we must be careful to distinguish between 
the varying conditions under which meteors are ruled by the 
central Sun. The problem presented by half a dozen me- 
teoric orbits, for example, would be vastly different from 
