A large part of the stars which compose it may
be considered as divisible into two groups. One of these comprises
the stars composing the great girdle of the Milky Way. These are
distinguished from the others by being bluer in color, generally
greater in absolute brilliancy, and affected, there is some reason
to believe, with rather slower proper motions The other classes
are stars with a greater or less shade of yellow in their color,
scattered through a spherical space of unknown dimensions, but
concentric with the Milky Way. Thus a sphere with a girdle passing
around it forms the nearest approach to a conception of the
universe which we can reach to-day. The number of stars in the
girdle is much greater than that in the sphere.
The feature of the universe which should therefore command our
attention is the arrangement of a large part of the stars which
compose it in a ring, seemingly alike in all its parts, so far as
general features are concerned. So far as research has yet gone,
we are not able to say decisively that one region of this ring
differs essentially from another. It may, therefore, be regarded
as forming a structure built on a uniform plan throughout.
All scientific conclusions drawn from statistical data require a
critical investigation of the basis on which they rest.
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