74 .D/% Herschel’s Obfcrvatiom 
It has been obferved, on a former occafion, that all the 
fmaller parts of other great fyftems, fuch as the planets, their 
rings and fatellites, the comets, and fuch other bodies of the 
like nature as may belong to them, can never be perceived by 
us, on account of the faintnefs of light refle&ed from fmall, 
opaque objects ; in my prefent remarks, therefore, all thefe are 
to be intirely fet afide. 
A well connected feries of objects, fuch as we have men- 
tioned above, has led us to infer, that all nebulae confift of 
j 
ftars. This being admitted, we were authorized to extend our 
analogical way of reafoning a little farther. Many of the 
nebulae had no other appearance than that whitifli cloudinefs, 
on the blue ground upon which they feemed to be projected ; 
and why the fame caufe fhould not be affigned to explain the 
molt extenfive nebulofities, as well as thofe that amounted only 
to a few minutes of a degree in fize, did not appear. It could 
not be inconfiftent to call up a telefcopic milky way, at an 
immenfe diftance, to account for fuch phenomena ; and if any 
part of the nebulofity feemed detached from the reft, or con- 
tained a vifible ftar or two, the probability of feeing a few 
near ftars, apparently fcattered over the far diftant regions of 
myriads of fidereal colle&ions, rendered nebulous by their 
diftance, would alfp clear up thefe Angularities. 
In order to be more eafily underftood in my remarks on the 
comparative difpofition of the heavenly bodies, I (hall mention 
fome of the particulars which introduced the ideas of connexion 
and difj until on : for thefe, being properly founded upon an exa- 
mination of objeds that may be reviewed at any time, will be 
of confiderable importance to the validity of what we may 
advance with regard to my lately difeovered nebulous ftars. 
2 On 
