Chapter I: Preface

The curious facts, fallacies, and paradoxes contained in the following pages have been collected from various sources. Most of the information given will not, I think, be found in popular works on astronomy, and will, it is hoped, prove of interest to the general reader.

J. E. G.

_September, 1909._

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER

I. THE SUN 1

II. MERCURY 10

III. VENUS 17

IV. THE EARTH 32

V. THE MOON 48

VI. MARS 59

VII. THE MINOR PLANETS 68

VIII. JUPITER 74

IX. SATURN 84

X. URANUS AND NEPTUNE 91

XI. COMETS 97

XII. METEORS 117

XIII. THE ZODIACAL LIGHT AND GEGENSCHEIN 127

XIV. THE STARS 135

XV. DOUBLE AND BINARY STARS 160

XVI. VARIABLE STARS 170

XVII. NEBULÆ AND CLUSTERS 191

XVIII. HISTORICAL 217

XIX. THE CONSTELLATIONS 239

XX. THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE 313

XXI. GENERAL 329

INDEX 359

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

AL-SUFI'S "EARTHEN JAR" 247

AL-SUFI'S "FISHES" IN ANDROMEDA 249

ASTRONOMICAL CURIOSITIES