It was during the later period of his land-surveying, when he was
somewhere between the ages of 18 and 20, that he became distinctly
interested in the stars. Being left much alone at this period, he began
to vary his pursuits by studying a book on Nautical Astronomy, and
constructing a rude telescope.[55] This primitive appliance increased
his interest in other astronomical instruments, and especially in the
grand onward march of astronomical discovery, which he looked upon as
one of the wonders of the nineteenth century.
It was the inclusion of astronomy in lectures he delivered at Davos
which led him to extend his original brief notes into the four chapters
which form an important part of his "Wonderful Century." He freely
confessed that in order to write these chapters he was obliged to read
widely, and to make much use of friends to whom astronomy was a more
familiar study. And it was whilst he was engaged upon these chapters
that his attention became riveted upon the unique position of our planet
in relation to the solar system.
He had noticed that certain definite conditions appeared to be
absolutely essential to the origin and development of the higher types
of terrestrial life, and that most of these must have been certainly
dependent on a very delicate balance of the forces concerned in the
evolution of our planet. Our position in the solar system appeared to
him to be peculiar and unique because, he thought, we may be almost sure
that these conditions do not coexist on any other planet, and that we
have no good reason to believe that other planets could have maintained
over a period of millions of years the complex and equable conditions
absolutely necessary to the existence of the higher forms of terrestrial
life.
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