  CHAPTER I. THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY. CHAPTER V. THE LAW OF GRAVITATION. CHAPTER VI. THE PLANET OF ROMANCE. CHAPTER XI. THE MINOR PLANETS. CHAPTER XVIII. THE STARRY HEAVENS. CHAPTER XIX. THE DISTANT SUNS. CHAPTER XXI. THE DISTANCES OF THE STARS. CHAPTER XXII. STAR CLUSTERS AND NEBULAE. CHAPTER XXIII. THE PHYSICAL NATURE OF THE STARS. CHAPTER XXIV. THE PRECESSION AND NUTATION OF THE EARTH'S AXIS. CHAPTER XXV. THE ABERRATION OF LIGHT. CHAPTER XXVI. THE ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF HEAT. CHAPTER XXVII. THE TIDES. [44] APPENDIX. ASTRONOMICAL QUANTITIES. Transcriber’s Note The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. Only obvious typographical errors have been corrected. THE STORY OF THE HEAVENSTHE Story of the Heavens SIR ROBERT STAWELL BALL, LL.D. D.Sc. Author of "Star-Land" FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, HONORARY FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF WITH TWENTY-FOUR COLOURED PLATES AND NUMEROUS NEW AND REVISED EDITION CASSELL and COMPANY, Limited LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK & MELBOURNE 1900 PREFACE TO ORIGINAL EDITION.I have to acknowledge the kind aid which I have received in the preparation of this book. Mr. Nasmyth has permitted me to use some of the beautiful drawings of the Moon, which have appeared in the well-known work published by him in conjunction with Mr. Carpenter. To this source I am indebted for Plates VII., VIII., IX., X., and Figs. 28, 29, 30. Professor Pickering has allowed me to copy some of the drawings made at Harvard College Observatory by Mr. Trouvelot, and I have availed myself of his kindness for Plates I., IV., XII., XV. I am indebted to Professor Langley for Plate II., to Mr. De la Rue for Plates III. and XIV., to Mr. T.E. Key for Plate XVII., to Professor Schiaparelli for Plate XVIII., to the late Professor C. Piazzi Smyth for Fig. 100, to Mr. Chambers for Fig. 7, which has been borrowed from his "Handbook of Descriptive Astronomy," to Dr. Stoney for Fig. 78, and to Dr. Copeland and Dr. Dreyer for Fig. 72. I have to acknowledge the valuable assistance derived from Professor Newcomb's "Popular Astronomy," and Professor Young's "Sun." In revising the volume I have had the kind aid of the Rev. Maxwell Close. I have also to thank Dr. Copeland and Mr. Steele for their kindness in reading through the entire proofs; while I have also occasionally availed myself of the help of Mr. Cathcart. ROBERT S. BALL. Observatory, Dunsink, Co. Dublin. |
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