322 Sir William Herschel’s observations and experiments 
appearance, without applying a telescope to it, is that of a 
zone surrounding our situation in the solar system, in the 
shape of a succession of differently condensed patches of 
brightness, intermixed with others of a fainter tinge. 
To enumerate a partial series of them, we have a very 
bright patch under the arrow of Sagittarius ; another in the 
Scutum Sobiescii ; between these two there are three un- 
equally bright places ; north preceding u Q and 7 Aquilse is a 
bright patch ; between Aquila and the Scutum are two very 
faint places ; a long faint place follows the shoulder of Ophi il- 
eus ; near jG Cygni is a bright place ; near 7 is another, and 
a third near a. A smaller brightish place follows in the suc- 
cession of the milky way, and a large one towards Cassiopea. 
A faint place is on one side ; a second towards Cassiopea, 
and a third is within that constellation ; a very bright place 
is in the sword handle of Perseus ; and » and 7 Cassiopeaa 
inclose a dark spot. 
The breadth of the milky way appears to be very unequal. 
In a few places it does not exceed five degrees ; but in seve- 
ral constellations it is extended from ten to sixteen. In its 
course it runs nearly 120 degrees in a divided clustering 
stream, of w'hich the two branches between Serpentarius and 
Antinous are expanded over more than 22 degrees. 
That the sun is within its plane may be seen by an observer 
in the latitude of about 60 degrees ; for when at 100 degrees 
of right ascension the milky way is in the east, it will at the 
same time be in the west at 280 ; while in its meridional 
situation it will pass through Cassiopea in the Zenith, and 
through the constellation of the cross in the Nadir. 
From this survey of the milky way by the eye I shall now 
