The stellar Milky Way, in the region of which, according to Argelander's
admirable observations, the brightest stars of the firmament appear to be
congregated, is almost at right angles
p 151
with another Milky Way, composed of nebulae. The former constitutes,
according to Sir John Herschel's views, an annulus, that is to say, an
independent zone, somewhat remote from our lenticular-shaped starry stratum,
and similar to Saturn's ring. Our planetary system lies in an eccentric
direction, nearer to the region of the Cross than to the diametrically
opposite point, Cassiopeia.*
[footnote] *Sir John Herschel, 'Astronom.', 624; likewise in his
'Observations on Nebulae and Clusters of Stars' ('Phil. Transact.', 1833,
Part ii., p. 479, fig. 25): "We have here a brother system, bearing a real
physical resemblance and strong analogy of structure to our own."
An imperfectly seen nebulous spot, discovered by Messier in 1774, appeared
to present a remarkable similarity to the form of our starry stratum and the
divided ring of our Milky Way.*
[footnote] *Sir William Herschel, in the 'Phil. Trans.' for 1785, Part i.,
p. 257. Sir John Herschel, 'Astron.', 616. ("The 'nebulous' region of the
heavens forms 'a nebulous Milky Way', composed of distinct nebulae, as the
other of stars.
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