Astronomy and the Bible;

THEFIXEDSTARS 147

fornearlyhalfacentury,nomindseemed willingto
renew theinvestigation. Thetheory fell into disre-
pute,and wasonly regarded as a bold and sublime
speculation,butnot founded onanywell determined
observations."
During the present century, the problem has en-
gagedtheattention ofsomeofthedistinguishedas-
tronomersofRussia. "Argelander,ofBonn,ledthe
way,andbyatrainofreasoningbaseduponextensive
andaccurate observations,has sustainedand demon-
strated, inthemostundeniablemanner,notonlythe
generaltruthofHerschel'stheory,buthasevencon-
firmedthedirectioninwhichthatastronomerbelieved
thesolarsystemtobemoving."
ThefinalresultofArgelander'sworksettledproba-
blyforeverthegrandfactthatthesun,withitsentire
cometaryand planetarysystem,is sweeping through
spacetowardapointwhoseplacemustfallsomewhere
withinthecircumferenceofacirclewhosediameteris
aboutequaltofourtimesthatofthemoon.
'Therealityof thesolar motion oncedetermined,
astronomershavenotbeenwantingtoverifyandex-
tendthiswonderfulexamination. Argelander'sresults
havebeenconfirmedbytheinvestigationsofM.Otho
Struve,the son ofthe distinguished director ofthe
Imperial Observatory of Pulkovo; and if, on any
fairnight,you directyoureyetotheconstellationof
Hercules,andselectfromitsstarsthetwomarkedon
theglobewiththeGreekletters ir and />t,ontheline
joiningthesestars,andatadistancefrom ir equalto
onequarter of the distancewhich divides thestars,