Abstract
WHILE correctly stating a considerable number of facts, this little book, which forms the first volume of a “Petite Encyclopédie Scientifique du XXe Siècle,” by no means represents the state of astronomical science at the present time. The earlier chapters recount the history of astronomy to the time of Newton, but afterwards the bulk of the matter is descriptive and speculative. So little acquainted is the author with recent work, that among many strange ideas expounded we find the suggestion that the rings of Saturn are not composed of multitudes of small bodies but of coherent masses of ice. The illustrations are very poor, and the book should be avoided by those desiring a trustworthy guide to current opinions.
Histoire du Ciel.
Par Clémence Royer. Pp. 246 (Paris: Librairie C. Reinwald, 1901). Price 2 fcs. 50.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Histoire du Ciel . Nature 64, 497 (1901). https://doi.org/10.1038/064497c0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/064497c0