Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-05-20
The Sun--An Abstract.

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the heavens presents to our view i
the Sun-the medium d f light an(
animation to this lower world. Thi:
glorious luminary is plac ed nearly il
the centre of the orbits Of all tht
planets which revolve around him al
different periods and at different dis
tances. 1t was, for ages the opinion
of astronomers, that the Sun was q
/ mass of fire-and this opinion seems
very plausible, as he dl fuses light
and heat through the wi iole planeta-
ry system. But, since the invention
of the telescope, dark spots have
frequently been observed upon his
disc. These spots are of various
magnitudes; it's compute Id that some
are large enough 10 cover the conti-
nents of Asia and AfricaS others, the
whole surface of the Earth; and 9th
ers, even FIVE times its urface.-
These numbers are, to all appearance,
perpetually changing, sop ietimes very
tew,. and sometimes not ait all; for, as
the Sun revolves around on its axis,
the spots are carried q round from
East to West, and the sa me place is
only presented once in twenty-five
days, ten hours; the time in which
he makes a complete revolution.
These spots on the sun seem first
to have been discovered In the year
I1S11, since which time they have
cons stantly attracted attention, and
been the subject of il Investigation
among astronomers; AMI q are often
SO large as to be seen with the naked
eye. This was the case il 1916. In
respect to the nature and design Of
these spots, almost every astronomer
has found different theory. Some
have supposed them tobasolid opaque
masses of scoria, floating in the
liquid fire Of the sun; others, as sat-
elites revolving around him, and
and hiding his light from US; Others,
as immense masses, which have fallen
on his disc, and which are dark colored,
because they have not yet become
sufficiently heated, In two instan-
ces these spots have been seen to
burst into several parts, and the parts
to fly in several directio rs. =
DR.. Herschel remarks, that these
dark spots on the sun a Re mountains
upon its surface. He says, that in
August. 1892, he exami ined the sun
with telescopes, of Sc keral powers,
from ninety to five hui hdred, and it
evidently appeared that the dark
spots were opaque grounds, or body
of the sun, and that the luminous
parts are an atmospheric which, IN
terrupted or broken, gives usa view
of the sun itself. Hence, he con-
cludes that the sun has very ex-
tensive atmosphere, which consists Of
elastic fluids; that are more or less
lucid and transparent, and of which
the lucid ones furnish Us with light
and heat. 1t appears from these
observations, that the sun is Opaque,
like our earth and the ulanets. This
opinion seems much more rational
than the former, which supposed it
to be of pure fire; for, oh the suppo-
sition that the sun is Of pure fire, it
must Of course have been wasting
its light and heat ever since its crea-
ton, and would, in process of time,
become extinct, or at least useless as
to the purpose for which it was crea-
ted. But if we suppose the body of
the sun to be Opaque, and conse-
quently solid, we discover in it the
principles of duration.
The dimensions of this globe Of
light are truly astonisH ling. It's di-
ameter is $4,000 miles, which is
nearly twice the dian meter of the
moons orbit. And AS the spheres
are to each other as the cubes of
their diameters, the sun is l,3S4,412
times larger than our Earth, and
nearly six times larger than all the
planets together.
The mean distance OF the sun from
the Earth is computed to be about
95 600 900 of miles, the diameter
of the Earth's orbit is therefore up
wards of I90,000,000 of miles; and
as the diameter of a cl lfcle is to the
circumference nearly In proportion OF |
7 to %, the Earth's orbit is about
60O,0O0,000 of miles in circumfer-
ence. This mighty rpnnd is tTav-
eled by the Earth and hll of it's In
habitants, in 565 days, 6 hours, 9