, 1869-08-11

ssa
sphere ia non.lumtpous envelope or attnosrsere,
shining to us By meansof the light received ffoa,
the Interior shell, which 1t reflects tc-our eyes.
I11Is noc-l mnoua enyc:ope or atmosphere; mt1st
be q: least 900 niles u thickness and pernapa
tW!ce that amount, as itT density must decrease
with tnc distance TIL It 0.es 'ts reflective power
It Il pos Impossible that the prolongaton 10 tue
direction 1 i, ptyeE I;se to the phenomenon
ko0wu as the Zodtacal light and rises aun1Seutly
near the orbit Of Mercury 10 cause tho distoibsn-
ces in h!a movements which have been asct1bcd 10
atnythieat be!t OF planetolds.
TIE FKoTCBIRAxcra
TIIeee att represented on thc-dtagram In b|acC;
1belr sI1laIebs color was pink red. The instant
that the LAST thtu nlu1 Of light wan lis middle at
j, hau vanished, leaving the sun In utter dark
ntsP and simultaneously with th5 cutnash OF the
corona, .hs ltns Of protube1ances extending from
r to also b1sst upon the sfe~. The one At the
lowest point Was the largest All I'm the upper
PORTION, which occupied about ID degrees on the
utons disc, and projected 6,OoO miles flou tue
Buna edge, or FULLY one half the average height Of
tie Philosophers Dr. Hllgard BAN and described
tic lover, pendant portion, which WAS estinlat-
cd 10 be le0 CO nltlrs loug, BY eett1 miles widc4
hak'ng \ total pEotrusion Of l56,ttD ml.es. The
protubcraucc at T. and the one Immediately below
1t. were also visible to the naked eye; they were
4l~tAlS0laAt 0AI WE4G G6A4A4RACN ~ 3tfVpV A4aGS
high, With bases Of I'VE and eight degrees
on The circumference The photo
graph showed tie three more f2ncifully-
shaped oEes neaftthe eastern quAtter, which were
also mere faint In outline, eeeung II one part
10y fur bth!nd the other, which crosses It IN the
d!og1AE. Hence the Cross shipped figure at was
probably made up OF two Independent ptotnbcr-
ances, the horizontal portion lying several huu-
dEcd miles fa1ther fron the eye Of the lpecntor
nnFt which at4nf nearly n.
right In the ioWerFlett quarter string OF bead
ike protuiernnccs were also visible with the cid
Of tie telescope. Their comparative slze Is nee
e.ean1y e1ace GRATED on our diagram; they werr,
pethaps, not more than b,ao8 miles high, and
dropped out OF stabtin rapid succession In 2 few
seconds, as the moon ndyanced rapidly in the d.
rection c to D. And noT the three larger ones at
D, grew smaller, fading from the view about
:tc niddle o. totally. which TACT showed them TO
have an altitude Of about 25,0oo miles.
Al this TING The western edge oE the moon had
advanced sufficiently In its course to uncover the
rrotutesances on thatstde, mud tile three shown
fruM A to flashed on The vision. only the exte-
r.or rerltous being visible at rs,, but soon GEow-
Ing out fnrther and farther TIL tho three exhibited
an altitude OF at Ieoxs %, 600 miles, BY an uRxrr
gate bren1th Of folly 90 degrees On the hase.
Meanwhile the protubcfaucr at P grew larger, un-
steadily, Us the moon1 edge at that point nearel
the edge OF tie Bun, hat then seemed to decrease
shortly before the,total phase ended, showing m
actual Change IN vo!nme, though the character OF
the outlines did no: percept!blJ vu1y. These four
were distinctly visible till the last Instant, when
they vanished Hl.h the corona, as astar disappears
isGh the view whso fash OF Lightning illupltnes.
the tt1naucDL
The epectroscane had already told Us that thess
p.utute1ances 11s Inasses OF fncandescent matter,
anil some Of tta constituent elements have been
!eterEninrd to be Identical with substances pecu-
liar to US, as Eou, sodium, magnesium and hyIto-
gen. But tt vas reserved to Professor ualkncss-
TO .cnyes that therr Is constant decrease IL the
nuutcE OF clements In proportion 70 the height
above the sans surface. Thus the summit coa~
ta.ns no element but hydrogen, and sodium ap-
reurs little lower, while Iron s, possibly. the ele
ment 10 riae with The greatest dicu!tJ, and 10 tai
luck sooEcst tnto the bosom Of the sun. We bare
also reason to believe that these protuber1Eeea
are idrn a:al: With the darE masses known as
"epots shen Eeen on that part OF lite suns, NJ
Eosrhc.r mhleh Ia between Us and LIS body.
CONSTITUTION OF TuK SIN.
so nnch, then, We know Of :ha constitution Of
the sun that ne Is surrounded tYa double atn1os-
phtre, and that the Interior one Is se3-lnInsnoas
NUT the scene Of violent changes connected with
The formation md movement Ct 1umen5c h1lks Of
lacandescant matter. We Know, further, that
nnpy Of tho substances whiih are fouud In Large
quantities on the ealth c1ls@ also in the suu, md
We may reason from analogy that other Jet undIs
co, cred tc51eue clements loln these % make up
iise grand total OF 6olar matter. HHt beyond tuls
lies 1ast void belonging To the regions OF the un
knoBn: probably much that viii forever remain
'unk no xable'' BY mor1a!s. But whcfe kno wle!ge
cndR speculation begins
It has bceu thcught that the lnmtn-
luminous and non-lumnou5 atni1pheres OF the
sun a1c like two mir strIa IN our atmosphere; not
absolutely separabe, nor divided bJ line the Pc
-it!on Of which can Ec Indicated This Is, VIC he
icye, the general theory with those who en:ertatn
one. that 1t is bet general distinction, Ike The.
discrimination between upper and lower portions
Of ouE atmosphere, the one merging into tho
other By imperceptlble gra.atious, and the SELF
IumiLosity Ceasing only when the ienaity becomes
TOO Ell all to admit Of that intensity Of y!sraiion
Which is supposed nccc.sary 10 originate the seu-
sas1oa OF light.
Ttls ma5 be 50, but Il scers quite as,,orobab!c
taat the sun condition Is similar In respect to
fuEM u !!h that Of the earth before the continents
weEg nphc4yed by VOLCANIC force. Then the ocean
covered tho laa.l and Wns Itself surrounded hy an
outer ntnospherc Of nir, the two oceans then as
now, rot only balancing each other, but being
nutusll5 necessary to the iutegrity Of character
pertaining to each Or cousEe Il Is not necessary
that the photosrherc should be composed O! any
thing Ike hat we call water, md indeed VIC have
no particular reason 10 bettcse that Oxygen, the
chief constituent OF water, Is present ii ALL But
II Il necessarily q soneH hat dense fuil, ami il
Probably In u state Of more tntfnte motion
:han any !ntermaseneut Of particles q
which We have any knowledge There IS
no doubt that this 11il Is also
intensely hot but that Is probably not result OF
c ltustion, aud Is nore consequence Of !ts E1f-
ID ot!on tsau necessary condition Of heat tn
the solE ra5z, So far as We know, Light and heat
err phenomenal opiy-ncse conditions, not mate
rial eatirlcs-and these Sersaii0u3 are cumnu1l-
Gated oalJ By the intermediate vibrations Of Nate
II Il particles II is aiw ays cold IN the tops Of high
mounsatnR though there be level enough to admit
OF large anouIt OF ealth radiation, and We must
cotclic lint tho dIderence Is principally due 10
leHscncd density OF the atmosphere. which pIc-
erLss fever EaFtlcea to be r.bEated Ia tho passage
Of the soar rays; hence less OF motion: hence less
Of ibc st nsat;on Of heat The suns Ta,s are warm
and light to Us ouly beca15e iber sIbF1te through
certain ne1Ia- Take awa! those media, and the
sensation IS absent.
We have ever reaEGn TO bclleTe that the earth
:. nd Uoou hare existed under some what slnIlsr
this Irobab!c difference that the ealth has q COM
pa1attyc excess Of oxygen, and the Sun Of hydro
6tn, While tie NOON Is deficient in both Of those
elcueLu. To this difference nc may perhaps LOOK
for onsoIaston oEalnst The fear that tho H.lE
re burned out ultimately and leave ocr postertiy
ltousand generations hence to lie cut OF cold.
TIE above view Is perfectly consistent, 100, with
t Q fs:rs that the sun may be tt Residence for
nt lIated beings, Organized IN adaptation to TIE
situation, and enables Us to drop the dflleusry
With lit cts rs IN The attempt 10 conceive OF m
eter1a!iy self+Eustalning counagTaloa.
The Democracy nnd tho Irisa Re-
puhltCuuN.