Recently there was a discussion about the lack of general
knowledge of space (the weightless people not falling off the moon because
they had heavy boots theory etc.).  Well I was clearing out my atic and I
came across a whole load of old books for children of the 'Wonders of the
world' variety.  After reading one chapter of one book, one can hardly
blame people if they have got things a bit muddled...  From "Nature's
Playground" by M. Cordelia E. Leigh (mostly a nature book, but the last
chapter is 'A journey to the Heavenly Bodies', looks about late
1930's/1940's )...  "The red planet Mars is smaller, and various markings
can be seen through telescopes, which some think may be canals made by
human beings."  Wow! whatever about the canals, 'made by human
beings...'??
	And I guess we needn't have bothered to send out those expensive
pieces of space hardware back in the 70's to tell us Jupiter is ringed,
because underneath two lovely photos of Saturn is "Jupiter has rings
running around him as seen in the above pictures"...
	Another caption read "This picture shows how a star may be born.
Two planets collide, and a piece of molten Planet is broken off, to rush
about revolving in space as a new star.", with an appropiate picture...
	How about "Here is a photograph of a Star Cluster, containing
thousands of Stars all spinning in an area less than that of our own
Earth"?
	But I've saved the best for last. Any body out there looking for a
tenth planet can take heart, for M. Cordelia E. Leigh has an unbeatable
method of detection:
	"We can tell a planet from a star if we remember that a planet
shines with a steady light, while the rhyme which begins 'Twinkle,
twinkle, little star' tells us quite correctly how a star shines.'
	At this one I nearly fell through the ceiling (I was up in the
attic remember)....

	Ah well, I'm sure her heart was in the right place even if she did
waffle her way through that last chapter.