THE END

BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, GUILDFORD


THE SYSTEM OF
THE STARS

BY

AGNES M. CLERKE

Hon. Member of the Royal Astronomical Society; Author of "History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century" and "Problems in Astrophysics"

 

SECOND EDITION

Demy 8vo.   Cloth.    With many Illustrations.    Price 20s. net.

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FROM THE PREFACE

Fifteen years have elapsed since the original publication of the present work; and fifteen years count as a long spell of time where sidereal research is in question. In preparing the Second Edition, accordingly, I have introduced extensive modifications. Considerable sections of the book have been recast, and all have been thoroughly revised. New chapters have been inserted, old ones have been in large part suppressed. Drastic measures of reform have, in short, been adopted, with results that certainly import progress and (it is hoped) constitute improvements. Most of the illustrations are entirely new; and I am under great obligations for the use of valuable photographs and drawings, among others, to Sir. David Gill, F.R.S., to Professor Hale and the University Press of Chicago, to the Rev. W. Sidgreaves, S.J., to Professors E. C. Pickering, Campbell, Barnard, and Frost, and to Dr. Max Wolf of Heidelberg.

"The work was admirable from the first, imparting the best knowledge of a decade and a half ago; now it retains its high quality by incorporating the newer knowledge."—The Guardian.

"It has the remarkable feature of combining extraordinary profusion of precise information with an elegance of literary style quite unusual in scientific authors."—The Academy.


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ADAM & CHARLES BLACK   .   SOHO SQUARE   .   LONDON

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

PROBLEMS IN ASTROPHYSICS

Demy 8vo. 560 pages. Cloth.

Containing 50 Illustrations in the Text and 31 Plates

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NOTE

"This is emphatically a "new century" book. It aims at stimulating progress along lines carefully marked out as immediately practicable. The same author's "History of Astronomy" is a survey of the past; "Problems in Astrophysics" looks to the future. What we already know is regarded in it as means to the end of augmenting knowledge. Astrophysics is a science still at the outset of a magnificent career. Its ways are beset with claimants for its attention. There is often much difficulty in choosing between them, yet rapidity of progress depends upon prudence in selection. Many hints for its guidance are accordingly offered in the present work, which deals, so far as possible, with answerable questions. It should, then, find its way into the hands of every astronomer who desires to keep up with the drift of thought, and to be informed of the prospects of work and discovery in the various departments of research connected with the physics of the heavenly bodies."

SOME  PRESS  OPINIONS

"The book shows every sign of profound and careful study, and the sense of scientific imagination, which is one of the greatest means of independent discovery."—St. James's Gazette.

"The book is written with all the charm that has characterised the authoress's previous volumes, and contains a wealth of information and suggestion for work yet to be accomplished which will appeal to all who are interested in the problems of the universe."—Daily Telegraph.

"We feel that Miss Clerke has earned, and will surely receive, the admiration and gratitude of astronomers for this new proof of her devotion to their science."—The Times.


MODERN COSMOGONIES

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NOTE

This volume contains a series of brief and attractive studies on current theories regarding the origin and history of the visible universe. The difficulties besetting cosmical doctrines of evolution are pointed out in them, and the expedients are described by which those difficulties have been met, though not wholly overcome. The widened possibilities connected with the new science of radiology, the unification of the physical forces that may ensue upon further discoveries concerning electrical action, the function in the world of the impalpable ether, the nature of gravity, are in turn discussed or adverted to; while the final chapter takes into consideration the crowning problem of life.

"These sixteen chapters are short studies on modern theories about the origin and mystery of the universe, by an astronomer whose writings have done much to help and popularise that science."—The Times.


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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:

Original
pagelineOriginal text left as is (sic)
072 13 The search for it, through confessedly scarcely
196 24 The first description are tranquil
Original
pagelineOriginal text Replaced with
009 11 byeways byways
024 46 concentation concentration
043 37 Is appears from It appears from
062 37 appearances seem by him appearances seen by him
082 3 forgotton forgotten
092 footnote 1 11/9647000 1/9647000 (confirmed by looking up reference quoted)
093 7 phenenoma phenomena
100 17 Bredikhin Brédikhine
131 13 identifiying identifying
140 40 terrestial terrestrial
143 25 appearence appearance
149 27 bloodvessel blood vessel
152 12 Angström Ångström
169 3 undimished undiminished
171 42 sympton symptom
172 18 familar familiar
173 42 photograpic photographic
182 37 by which i     structure by which its structure
199 37 Bredikhine Brédikhine
220 26 stata strata
246 30-31 of its orbit 24 hours 53 seconds. of its orbit in 24 hours 53 seconds
260 13 garden at its seasons garden as its seasons
284 21 throngh through
284 13 oparator operator
376 42 promptly recognised. in a promptly recognised in a
377 footnote 3applie applied
395 42 the gaseous fields o the gaseous fields of
423 35 relatiouship relationship
434 footnote 2Optice Optics
436 42 Its resumption, ofter some years Its resumption, after some years
436 footnote 1(two references given, within a single footnote. In the text footnote 1 used twice)(split into two footnotes, and corrected references in the text)
450 27 1862 Conclusion of a 1872 Conclusion of a
454 40 spectographically spectrographically
454 18 spectographic spectrographic
456 4 Lyrae Lyræ
488 index Wolf, R., sun-spot and magnetic periodicity, 128, 164, 162;Wolf, R., sun-spot and magnetic periodicity, 128, 162, 163;