238 ASTRONOMYANDTHEBIBLE
likeasolidwall,andthenebulaasortofcurtain-like
opening-intoanotherroom,sotospeak—aplacebetter
lighted.
Theancientheathenwriters,ignorantofastronomy
andofthenatureofspace,supposedtheskytobea
hugecrystaldome. Theythoughtthatlightningwas
amomentaryopeningthroughthewallofthisdome,
disclosing the fiery ether beyond. Huyghens seems
tohaveadaptedhisideaofthenebulatothisnotion
oftheancients,apparentlythinkingthatthenebulous
lightwasanopeningthroughthedarkerareasofspace
intoonemoreenlightened.
Thereisno doubtthatthenebulaisan areamore
enlightened;butwedonotseeitthroughanopening,
forallspace unoccupiedby heavenlybodies is open
space. No; thereis adeepermeaning than any of
thisintheexpression,"theopenspaceinOrion."
Tounderstandtheterm,letus considerconditions
inotherpartsoftheheavensquitesimilartothosein
Orion. From a three-volumebookon astronomy,I
quotewordsdescribingan interestingincident inthe
livesoftwoof thegreatestofmodern astronomers.
Itthrowslightuponthequestionunderconsideration.
Toquote
:"Thoughwetalkofthe'starry'heavens,andespe-
ciallyassociatetheMilkyWaywiththeideaofstars,
yet it must be remembered thatthere exist in the
MilkyWay certainplaces whichseeminglyareabvSO-
lutelydevoidofstars. When SirJohnHerschelwas
preparingforhiswell-knownexpeditionto theCape
of Good Hope in 1833, his aunt Caroline Herschel