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Having just been reading some astronomical books written around the 1900's, and having the hindsight of another 100 years of experience, it's interesting to read the statements of the day, the best applied their knowledge with occasionally flawed assumptions, and it goes to show we might think we know it all but we don't. So tread gently, inquire the relevance of discoveries, always being open to the possibility that there are concepts and ideas we haven't even thought of.
Here's a quote... Note this is open source so has no copyrigt infringements
The question of the form and extent of the Milky Way thus becomes the central one of stellar astronomy. Sir William Herschel began by trying to sound its depths; at one time he thought he had succeeded; but before he died he saw that they were unfathomable with his most powerful telescopes. Even today he would be a bold astronomer who would profess to say with certainty whether the smallest stars we can photograph are at the boundary of the system. Before we decide this point we must have some idea of the form and distance of the cloudlike masses of stars which form our great celestial girdle. A most curious fact is that our solar system seems to be in the centre of this galactic universe, because the Milky Way divides the heavens into two equal parts, and seems equally broad at all points. Were we looking at such a girdle as this from one side or the other, this appearance would not be presented. But let us not be too bold. Perhaps we are the victims of some fallacy, as Ptolemy was when he proved, by what looked like sound reasoning, based on undeniable facts, that this earth of ours stood at rest in the centre of the heavens!
How 100 years has changed things, and just how will another 100 years view our grand statements ghat this or that chemical means life MUST be there..... True science investigates the evidence, makes a theory.... But until life is ACTUALLY found you can't say any absolute statements nor should you.
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