Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Fixed Stars, John F. Downey

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The object of this paper is to give, in a popular form, a brief review of what is known about the fixed stars. Although they have always been objects of interest, have guided the mariner over trackless seas, arid have inspired many sublime and noble thoughts, yet, until a comparatively recent date, only three things were known about them; viz., that they retain (approximately) their ·relative positions, that they are self luminous, and that they are very far away.