Each of those other myriads of stars is a sun, and the splendor of those distant suns is often far greater than that of our own.  We are, however, so enormously far from them that they appear dwindled down to insignificance.  To judge impartially between our sun or star and such a sun or star as Sirius we should stand halfway between the two; it is impossible to make a fair estimate when we find ourselves situated close to one star and a million times as far from the other.  After allowance is made for the imperfections of our point of view, we are enabled to realize the majestic truth that the sun is no more than a star, and that the other stars are no less than suns.  This gives us an imposing idea of the extent and magnificence of the universe in which we are situated.  Look lip at the sky at night—­you will see a host of stars; try to think that every one of them is itself a sun.  It may probably be that those suns have planets circling round them, but it is hopeless for us to expect to see such planets.  Were you standing on one of those stars and looking towards our system, you would not perceive the sun to be the brilliant and gorgeous object that we know so well.  If you could see him at all, he would merely seem like a star, not nearly as bright as many of those you can see at night.  Even if you had the biggest of telescopes to aid your vision, you could never discern from one of these bodies the planets which surround the sun, no astronomer in the stars could see Jupiter, even if his sight were a thousand times as powerful as any sight or telescope that we know.  So minute an object as our earth would, of course, be still more hopelessly beyond the possibility of vision.

The Number of the Stars.

To count the stars involves a task which lies beyond the power of man to accomplish.  Even without the aid of any telescope, we can see a great multitude of stars from this part of the world.  There are also many constellations in the southern hemisphere which never appear above our horizon.  If, however, we were to go to the equator, then, by waiting there for a twelve-month, all the stars in the heavens would have been successively exposed to view.  An astronomer, Houzeau, with the patience to count them, enumerated about six thousand.  This is the naked-eye estimate of the star-population of the heavens; but if instead of relying on unaided vision, you get the assistance of a little telescope, you will be astounded at the enormous multitude of stars which are disclosed.

[Illustration:  FIG 1.  THE GREAT BEAR AND THE POLE.]

An ordinary opera-glass or binocular is a very useful instrument for looking at the stars in the heavens.  If you employ an instrument of this sort, you will be amazed to find that the heavens teem with additional hosts of stars that your unaided vision would never have given you knowledge of.  Any part of the sky may be observed; but, just to give an illustration, I shall take one special region, namely, that of the