The sun., 1865-05-25

There is n0rhing " dist tinguish our sun from tue
nuttudinOus stars which slime IN the ornament.
Aslruu0uDers readily adm, that The sun 10 star n
iniddlinc magnitude, emitting light which is near.
ly white, " III very slightly marked character Of
per!Olicsl vsrislty. We sre therefore In the pre-
sence Of phenomenon which IL undoubtedly ot
great Importance TO ~ but which IL ct the same
time extremely common In the stellar universe
Starting therefore, With the simplest and nos gem
eral idss. and the most applicable TO the aggregate
Of stars We have the successive union OF matter In
vast masses un 'er t'r empire II atrsc ion, out of
,hs materials prrnitively disseminated throughout
space Tie star IN the state Of nsbulA; but A.
length . cooling takes place At the surface The tis
unisi elemcuis srsduslly scquire the power of sp-
Iroaching each uther, and ch emiCR afinites deve-
oped' The particles thus formed scted ON by grsv-
ity, will descend towards the lower strata, where
meeting With the temperature Of dissocistiop, they
will be sent up sssiE a. masses Of gas; There are
thus PR duced yertca movements of rec pro al er-
change, which incessantly renew the emission oil
heat aud light. Al tie outer circumference vii be
formed the apparent Limit of the sun. Ths vertical
currents which asntate the mass easily explain the
appesranees Of the spot Wherever the ascending
currents find outlet, they open sort Of vista in
TO the interior, witch appears to The eye eonpsra-
lively black, IN consequence ofiu lower rahatng
power Father SeecLi Ascertainst, by means oil
ihsrmo-electrc measurements, ibrt the central por.
ton Of TIE spots on the sun ~ less hot than the sup
ortcis region. II would 'ppsar then that star
passes through several perfectly distinct phases
sun no longer reu aims. In the second phase, tho
outer strata sufhc emily cooled 70 allow " play
Of cerIan molecular aihnites 20 Re possible There
10 then termed sort u superficial laboratory, which
determines the aipetcut outline " tho star. The
emission OF Ii. 1t and heat is considerable, and 10
naintained Mt the expense Of the entire mass by
the sction Of ascending and descending currents
which are established between the deep strata and
q se-face. THIS pi lasts for an immense lapse
OF time and pr, scnu great 1Nity in Its phenomena.
Our sun is now passing through this very rhase.
lhc vertical currents In his mass suffice 10 sccount
for every rTpeArancs hth erto observed. The Third
phase arrives when, IN consequence Of cooling, tie
vertical movements uern to slscken when, the en-
tiro mass gradually contracting, the luminous sur
lace htuc 10y iWe 'c1uires liquid, pssiy, and
hnauy solid cOusisteuce. From this condition,
tic sun IL stll lar distant. by continued cooling
~ last comc the phsnomena Of definite extinction
Although tie interior may be inCsndescent, the ex
terror h covered with AL opaque, COO, and hsbt,-
bic crust. This 10 he geo illogical phase. Examples
are recorded IN history. The seventh sta 2 of the
Plsisdsa after lsngulshing for centuries, went out
st the isll OF Troy. Hevsliua . celebrated German
astronomer, mentions tye stars whose expiring
rays b. lad the glory and sorrow to catch 10 his
telescope. Hersclel, after ascertaning tie disap-
pesrGnce Of notable number OF stars, by the com
p,risOn OF sneient with recent catalogues, had also
tie honor Of being present at = stars last moments
and OF registering Its docease. II vas the hfeth Of
Hercules For sone time past he had observed Ii
growing paer 1t then turned Ted and after flick
erng some d. zen years Il yielded up iu fame,
rSIe'SI III VIC bAAuet OF ulsnt Inc
2ih Of March, 1891, was the date which the great
astronomer entered this remarkable phenomenon In
his Journal lhe earth aud the moon We are told,
offer examples Of this successive evolution. Ev
uenNy, the earth wAs once "a yerItAble sun for The
moon Tbs moon whose mAss 10 very much smaller
was naturally the hrst to cool Then the earth,
In her .urn, alter passing through tho very sAmo
phases az our actual sun, at Lass scquirod crust
and bccaIno entirely solid ~ the surface. After .
ircsh considerable lapse OF tine, organic life became
manifested. Tho SANE transitions have been pass-
ed through by the moon, only much more rapidly
IL Is probable that lie WAS developed in the moon
wien II had scarcely yet appeared on earth, We
are informed that the moon IspTesents tho esrth's
future, the sun her past. We are b, hindhand with
our satellite, aud very much in advance OF our sun
Aud thus worlds have their distinct ages and their
corresponding conditions Of life Each star passes
through It's successive ausiormstions IN the eter-
nal harmony Of tie universe.