more, remaining. Assigning to each star the space already shown to
be its quota, we should require a sphere of about 3000 light-years
radius to contain such a number of stars. At some such distance as
this, we might find a thinning out of the stars in the direction
of the galactic poles, or the commencement of the Milky Way in the
direction of this stream.

Even if this were not found at the distance which we have
supposed, it is quite certain that, at some greater distance, we
should at least find that the region of the Milky Way is richer in
stars than the region near the galactic poles. There is strong
reason, based on the appearance of the stars of the Milky Way,
their physical constitution, and their magnitudes as seen in the
telescope, to believe that, were we placed on one of these stars,
we should find the stars around us to be more thickly strewn than
they are around our system. In other words, the quota of space
filled by each star is probably less in the region of the Milky
Way than it is near the centre where we seem to be situated.

We are, therefore, presented with what seems to be the most
extraordinary spectacle that the universe can offer, a ring of
stars spanning it, and including within its limits by far the
great majority of the stars within our system. We have in this
spectacle another example of the unity which seems to pervade the
system. We might imagine the latter so arranged as to show
diversity to any extent. We might have agglomerations of stars
like those of the Milky Way situated in some corner of the system,
or at its centre, or scattered through it here and there in every
direction. But such is not the case. There are, indeed, a few
star-clusters scattered here and there through the system; but