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

CHAPTER PAGE
[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]