Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-05-17
AnalVsis of The Sun.

Two German chemists, working together
in their laboratory at Heidelburg, have an
alyzed the body of the sun! Fabulous as
it may seem, this is literally true It was
however, by no cabalistic arts that these
alchemists of modern days achieved their
wonders. They arrived at the results of
their analysis without employing crucible
or alembic, without the aid of either acid
or fire, and solely by close examination of
the rays of light, in the manner we shall
now explain 1t had been discovered sev-
eral years ago by another German philoso-
pher, that the solar spectrum exhibits nu-
merous dark lines, crossing it in parallel
directions, at certain though irregular dis
tances apart, and of various thickL esscs.
These lines We conjectured to be occa-
stoned by the absorption of some of the
rays Of light in those parts Of the spectrum
by causes unexplained Further research
es have made known that the rays emana~
ting from other sources, exhibit different
spectra when decomposed by prism,
each kind Of light having its peculiar and
distinctive spectrum. I he variously col
ored lights produced by the combustion of
the metals, when they pass through glass
prism, and the images are received on
white screen, present separate spectra which
never vary for each metal This distinct
i've property is so well preserved, that when
the light produced by the combustion of
several of the metals mixed together is
decomposed, the several spectra are main
tanned separate, and the combined yet dis
tinctive image shows the spectrum of each
metal as separately as if its light alone were
decomposed. BY varying the-ezperin.ent,
this combined eolored spectrum may be
converted into negative image of dark
lines only. This is done when the rays of
more powerful light, passes through the
colored flame. The dark lines thus formed
correspond exactly with certain of the dark
lines IN the solar spectrum. It's therefore
inferred that the lines observed crossing the
decomposed colored light, are caused by
the absorptions of portions of the intense
light from the body of the sun in passing
through incadescent vapors that surround
It, Proceeding on that hypothesis, those
hitherto inexplicable dark lines have been
OiO0CiJ 6Oi ulIHILtu III UIuSE " u4eCOF6l
whether they correspond with the spectra
of the metals. 1t has by this means been
ascertained that the neg g.tive spectrum Of
iron exactly comedies with a certain num-
Der of those lines that the spectrum of
nickel comedies with others of the dark
lines; and that the negative speotra of
magnesium, sodium, and of some others of
the metallic bases of the EARTH also have
their exact counterparts in the solar spect-
rum. BY this means it is ascertained, in
mannsr quite convincing to those who
have witnessed the experiments, that the
body Of the sun contains large portions of
iron, and Of ether metals, and Fearths
common in this globe OF ours. The grad
ual steps in the progress of discovery and
investigation, which have led to this bold
induction from observed phenomena, pre-
sent striking example of the manner by
which each successive discovery opens the
way to the others, and affords additional
ground for hope that ere long many Of the
hitherto inexplicable mysteries of nature
may be penetrated by the accumulated
forces which science is daily bringing to
bear on them Manchester Guardian.