Page:In the high heavens.djvu/198

mination of these velocities. It thus appears that the speed with which each of the component stars moves is about fifty miles a second.

Fig. 30.—The System of Mizar.

As, therefore, we know the pace at which the stars are moving, and the time they need for the journey, we know how large their path is, and thus we infer that the distance of the components is, speaking roundly, about one hundred and fifty millions of miles. But now, we are enabled to draw a remarkable inference. We