moving onward in a direct line, where are we going, or if the sun is traveling in an orbit, around what center is the solar orb moving? One question follows after a former question is solved. The star marked in Hercules is of the third magnitude, and we have already ascertained that it takes light forty-six years to pass over the interspace; or three light-years. Now executing the calculation, we find that in case the solar system should continue to progress towards the star, it cannot pass the enormous intervale, even at 33,550,000 miles per annum, in less than 1,800,000 years!

Mædler, successor to Struve, at the Dorpat Observatory, has spent much time in the investigation of the theory of the grand central sun. The great theory propounded by him was only given to the world after a long and patient examination of seven years.

The law of universal gravitation when extended to the fixed stars is absolutely demonstrated in the revolution of binary systems; and the same law must govern the association of stars composing our cluster, or the whole astral system. There must be a center of gravity as certainly as there is a solar system. Extending the law of analogy, as well as gravitation, then to the whole astral system, there must be a grand central sun. There now remains the means of not only detecting, but also of discovering its position in space. In case such a body does exists, the stars located nearest to it will be most completely subjected to its influence, and would show their proximity by the swiftness of their motion. The question now is, where is that center of gravity, and how to find it? Mædler's sagacity detected various guides which at once limited his iuvestigation to a comparatively small portion of the heavens; that the center of gravity must be located very near if not within the Milky Way, when seen by the eye of an observer located near the center of the astral system. The research for the center of gravity must be confined to the small half of the Milky Way, since the smaller half is the farthest away, and the sun cannot occupy the exact center of the layer or stratum which our astral system takes the form of, because the Milky Way does not divide the heavens into two hemispheres One more approximation can be made. Knowing the direction of the sun to be towards the star # in Hercules, which is quite opposite to the heavens occupied by Taurus; this consideration, together with other astronomical and geometrical

propositions which fulfilled the conditions of the question limited the field to the constellation Taurus. Here the problem took a more definite form. The proper motion of the stars in this vicinity were all in accordance with the theory; the center of gravity would be in some cluster; all stars within 20° or 30°, as well as those of such cluster, would move in the same direction; the stars in such space, and the cluster collectively, would appear to move through space without parting company. A rigid examination was made of the star Aldebaran, which seemed in the outset to fullfil some of the conditions of a central sun, but further details of the conditions showed that it could not be the center of gravity desired, all contingencies considered. Then the group of the Pleiades was duly considered; the proper motion of each star was minutely examined and noted; they were all in the same direction and nearly equal to each other; the mean of their proper motion differs from that of the central star, Alyone, by only onethousanth of a second of an arc in right ascension, and two-thousanths of a second in declination. Here then are a group of suns, either actually allied together, or else they compose a cluster so situated as to be affected by the same apparent motion produced by the sun's progressive motion through the celestial regions. But an extension of the research around the star ALCYONE exhibits the wonderful truth, that out of 110 stars which are within 15° of this center, there are 60 moving south, or in accordance with this hypothesis that Alcyone is the center, 49 exhibiting no well defined motion, and only one single individual star which appears to move contrary to the anticipated direction.

It is impossible in a brief paper here to do justice to the profound and elaborate investigations of the learned astronomer and author of this great speculation and plausible theory of THE GRAND CENTRAL SUN.

Assuming Alcyone as the grand center of the millions of stars composing our astral system, and the direction of the sun's motion, as determined by Argelander and Struve, he investigated the consequent movements of the stars in every quarter of the heavens. Just where the swiftest motions should be found, there they exactly existed, either demonstrating the truth of the profound theory, or exhibiting the most remarkable and substantiating coincidences. After thoroughly verifying his researches, computations, and all evidence, he reached

the conclusion, and published to the world the following solution:

Alcyone, the principle star in the group of the Pleiades, now occupies the center of gravity, and is at present the central sun about which the universe of stars comprising our astral system are all revolving.

We are apt to turn aside from the first efforts to resolve these great problems. How were the theories of Copernicus, and Newton received? How much regard was given to Herschel's grand theory of the solar motion ? And yet how triumphantly have these great theories been established. But some one may inquire if there is any possibility of proving or disproving this grand theory of Mædler?

Should the time ever come when the direction of the solar motion shall be sensibly changed, in conseqnence of its curvilinear character, then will the plane in which this movement lies be revealed, and then the center about which the revolution is performed must be made known, at least in direction. Should the line reaching towards this grand center pass through Alcyone, this added to all other evidences, will fix forever the question of its central position. We know not when this great question may be settled, but judging from the triumphs which have marked the career of human genius hitherto, we cannot doubt of the final result.

The potent factors in mathematical and astronomical science that have been discovered and used in the solution of the great problems of astronomy, are such that the laws of the universe must yield their secrets to inquiring man. The method of least squares for the elimination of errors, and such processes, reduce results almost to a fact. Admitting the truth of Mædler's theory, we are led to some of the most astonishing results. The known parallax of certain fixed stars gives to us an approximate value of the parallax of Alcyone, and reveals to us the distance of the grand center of the universe. Such is the enormous intervale separating the sun from the central star about which it performs it mighty revolution, that the light from Alcyone requires a period of 537 years to travel the distance. Now if we are to rely on the angular motion of the sun and system, as already determined, at the end of 18,200,000 years, this great luminary, our sun, with all it planets, satellites, and comets, will have completed one revolution around its grand center ALCYONE, "the Light of the Pleiades."

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