The Project Gutenberg EBook of Astronomy of To-day, by Cecil G. Dolmage

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Title: Astronomy of To-day
A Popular Introduction in Non-Technical Language

Author: Cecil G. Dolmage

Release Date: April 21, 2009 [EBook #28570]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note

The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully
preserved. Only obvious typographical errors have been corrected. The
advertisement from the beginning of the book has been joined with the
other advertisements near the end of the book.

Greek words are spelled out and represented as [word]. Greek letters are
represented as [a] "for alpha".

ASTRONOMY OF TO-DAY

[Illustration: THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OF AUGUST 30TH, 1905.

The Corona; from a water-colour sketch, made at Burgos, in Spain, during
the total phase, by the French Artist, Mdlle. ANDREE MOCH.]

ASTRONOMY OF
TO-DAY

_A POPULAR INTRODUCTION IN
NON-TECHNICAL LANGUAGE_

By

CECIL G. DOLMAGE, M.A., LL.D., D.C.L.

Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society; Member of
the British Astronomical Association; Member of
the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; Membre
de la Societe Astronomique de France;
Membre de la Societe Belge
d'Astronomie

With a Frontispiece in Colour
and 45 Illustrations & Diagrams

_THIRD EDITION_

LONDON
SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED
38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET
1910

PREFACE

The object of this book is to give an account of the science of
Astronomy, as it is known at the present day, in a manner acceptable to
the _general reader_.

It is too often supposed that it is impossible to acquire any useful
knowledge of Astronomy without much laborious study, and without
adventuring into quite a new world of thought. The reasoning applied to
the study of the celestial orbs is, however,