believes that it is impossible for the sun to have any motion of its own; when he at the same time asserts that all astronomy stands or falls with this system, he believes that no astronomical knowledge existed before the discovery of the Copernician system, and with the fall of the system all astronomical knowledge will cease to exist; he believes moreover true astronomy to be that, which men of science have imagined to be the truth regarding the heaven and the causes of the phenomena we see.

If astronomers had merely presented their ideas and opinions to the world as such, and no more, no one could raise any objection; but they lay down their opinions in words and on paper as a positive science, they give their view as incontroversible truths, and this fact alters the situation, for we cannot admit that science is a mere barge to be taken in tow by the imagination.

The fundamental axiom of astronomical theory, such as the Copernician system, Kepler's and Newton's laws, are not derived from a knowledge of fact, they are the opinions, views, ideas and suppositions of individuals, which have been adapted to the heaven, and as they were generally accepted, the question was never raised whether the opinions of an organic creature—however intelligent it might be—are really and truly that which we term penetrating behind the veil of nature and compelling it to yield up its secrets. The fact of no other ideas being at hand which seemed to be better, sufficed to transform these opinions into rules and to cause them to be accepted as the only admissible and correct truths.

The opinions set forth by Copernicus, Kepler and Newton are designed by astronomers of the present day under the collective title of the Copernician system, and they believe that these three dogmas, systems and laws, distinct as they are from each other, proceed consequentially one from the other, that they mutually supplement each the other, and thus form a harmonious whole. That not one of these things rests upon actual observation or even probable and perceptible facts, and finally, that none of them can be observed or verified, but that they are all three creations of the imagination, must be clearly evident to any one who occupies himself at all with the study of nature and more especially with the study of the heavenly phenomena.

When we say that astronomy is an earthly science, we mean to imply that the heaven and the phenomena there apparent cannot be studied otherwise than as seen from the earth. Therefore astronomy is not a heavenly science, it consists solely of such ideas as we are able to form, that which we see on the heaven.

It is not astronomy that is grand, compared with the vast objects with which it deals it dwindles to insignificance, and we may say that to speak of it as being a science of the "heavenly mechanism," nay more of the "laws of the universe," is sheer nonsense. The universe must be for us a mere term, which does not convey any tangible idea to our minds.

As only a very small portion of the heavenly space and its contents is visible to our eyes, astronomy—whatever may be the magnifying power placed at its disposal—must be confined within the limits of our vision and can therefore be no more than a small fragment.

In the positive sense of the word, astronomy is more especially a science of observation, which is its only, but real and successful power. It may be said that astronomy has raised observation to a science, and its immense importance becomes more and more prominent as the explicative science loses in value; which is the more easily accounted for by the fact that observation will finally bring about the overthrow of all untenable theories.

We see the heaven as we fly along, the earth whirls us with itself through space,