<A> Bruno (expanded solar system): *
In one of his dialogues his character Philotheo claims that "innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us and an infinite number of them may be inferred by our own reason." This cosmic pluralism, the belief in numerous "worlds" or planets (possibly an infinite number in addition to Earth), which may harbour extra-terrestrial life. Teaching this was among the charges the Inquisition made against him & for which he was eventually burned at the stake (1600). Bruno was also systematically critical of Aristotelian physics & anticipated Galileo by maintaining that the Bible should be followed for its moral teaching but not for its astronomical implications.
and see Chapter II page 56
<B>
ellipsoid: *
a type of quadric surface that is a higher dimensional analogue of an ellipse. The equation of a standard axis-aligned ellipsoid body in an xyz-Cartesian coordinate system is and SEE ILLUSTRATION BELOW RIGHT
SEE ILLUSTRATION ABOVE
This is not the Milky Way but NGC 2683 as seen nearly edge-on in this cosmic vista combining data and images from the ground-based Subaru telescope and the space-based Hubble Space Telescope. More distant galaxies are seen scattered in the background. Astronomers consider this spiral galaxy with its elliptical shape to be a look alike of the Milky Way.
<C>
solar systems traverse this space: *
Before WW I and immediately after astronomers continued to investigate & discover moving clusters (e.g. the 61 Cyngi cluster-1912; the Vela constellation cluster -1914; the Persei cluster 1910; the Scorpius-Centaurus cluster- 1913). In 1921 the astronomer N H Rasmuson confirmed many of these findings (A Research of Moving Clusters).
<D>
apex in the constellation of Hercules: *
The solar apex is shown between the constellation Lyra (see star Vega) just above and on the left and the constelaltion Hercules (to the immediate right).
SEE ILLUSTRATION
<E>
Capella, Vega, Altair and Betelgeuse: *
Capella is the brightest star in the Auriga constellation, 6th -brightest star in the night sky, 3rd-brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is relatively close, at 42.9 light-years from the Sun. It is part of the Hyades moving group.
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Vega is the brightest star in the Lyra constellation, 5th brightest star in the night sky & 2nd brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere; it is 25 light-years from the Sun, one of the most luminous stars in the Sun's neighbourhood.
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Altair is the brightest star in the Aquila constellation, 12th brightest star in the night sky; a mere 16.7 light-years from the Sun, one of the closest stars visible to the naked eye.
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Betelgeuse, a red supergiant, is one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye; it is a reddish semi regular variable star, the 10th-brightest star in the night sky; it is 700 light-years from the Sun. Betelgeuse is generally considered to be a single isolated star, a runaway star, not currently associated with any cluster or star-forming region, although its birthplace is unclear.