From Herschel's catalog, the first accurate stellar parallax measurement of 0.32 seconds of arc for the star 61 Cygni was published by the F.W. Bessel in 1838. ... This distance is equivalent to 3.26 light years. ... The Universe was now a large place and the intrinsic energy output of the stars had to be huge in order that their light could reach us. ... An Orbit in Curved Space This is a prediction made by General Relativity and confirmed by direct observation of Mercury. ...