Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-08-20


1 narrower portions Of the coronas,were visi-
bic and bright but the tongue-like cxtcn,
sions faded out into nothingncss, whereas
tho telescope gave a definite outline all
around, except at the summit of the first
! named protrusion. We do not claim that
the relative lengths of the different por,
tions were exactly as laid down here they
were estimated nj the instant, aud trans
icrrcd to paper directly; but the time al
lowed for observation Qess- than three
minutcs) was 50 short that IL can scarcely
be considered possible to reproduce every
part Of the outline with tinfailing accu-
rncy. 0
As stated in the letter from Des Moines,
the images of the corona taken in the
camera by DR. Curtis, of the United States
Navy do not show so great a breadth ofout.
line us is here represented, probably TOR the
reason that the light of the outer portions
was too faint, by comparison, to fix an
image on the plate, while the more brilliant
portions were burning their impress On the
apparatus. The photographs show the
corona to be least broad in the region of
the protubcrlnccs, and have preserved tho'
impress of as much of it's breadth as COR
responds to a distance of 105, 900 miles from
the suns body yywhence we may conclude
that the philosophers extends to ut least
that distance, while tho observations of
Prof, Lane show that ut three -fourths of.
that distance IL Possesses enough of il
Illuminating power to light UP the moons
surface to an extent sufficient to cause a
reflection of itsrays through. a distance Of
23S 900 miles, 81
A legitimate conclusion from this, and
through spcctroseopic observations de.
tailed in our reports, is that the solid body
of the sun is surrounded bya sclf.lumi,
nous atmosphere of at least one hundred
thousand miles in thickness, or one fourth
part of his radius, this giving the image
fixed in the camera, and that outside of
the light (photo( sphere is u non luminous
envelope or atmosphere, shining to us by
means OF the light received from the inte.
rior shell, which il reflects to our eyes
| This non -luminousenvclopeo atmosphere
must be at least 100000 miles in thickness,
and perhaps twice that amount, as its
density must decrease with the distance
till il loses its reflective power 1t is not
impossible that the prolongation in the diE
roction 4 A b, gives rise to the phenom.
enon Known as the Zodiacal light, and rises
sufficiently near the orbit of Mercury to
cause the disturbances in his movements
which have been ascribed To q mythical
belt of planetoids, = q -
/ no THE pRoTUBEltANCEs. Il
| 'fllCSe are represented ON the diagram
in black; their apparent color was pink.
red. The instant that tlielastfil Of light, !,
with its middle at ID, had vanished, leaving
the sun in utter darkness, and simulta-
neously with the outtash of the corona,
the lint. of protuberanccs extending from,
Z to B also burst upon the view. The one
ut the lowest point was the largest. All
saw the upper portion, which occupied
about 10 degrees on the moons disc, and
projected $4,000 miles from the suns edge
or fully one-half che average height of
the photospherc, Dr. lIilgartl saw and,
described the lower or pendant portion,
which was estimated TO be tU0,000 miles
long, by 10000 miles wide, making total
protruSion of 10000 miles. The pIotubers
ancc at l., and the one Immediately below
IL, We're also visible to the naked eve |;
they were rectangular, and were estimated
at 10000 miles high, with bases of five and
eight degrees on the circumference. The
photograph showed the three more fanci.-
/ hlly.s shaped onos near the eastern quar-
ter, which were also more faint in outline,
seeming as If one part lay lar behind the
other which crosses il in the Diagram
Hence the cross,shaped figure at b was
probably made up of two Independent
protubemnccS, the horizontal portion ly-
ing several hundred miles farther from
the eye of the spectator than the part
which seemed to stand nearly upright In
The lower left quarter string of bead like
protuberances were also visible with the
aid of the telescope, Their comparative
size is necessarily exaggerated on our dia,
gram they were, perhaps, not more than
1000 miles high. and droppedout OF sight
IN rapid succeSsi0nin a Few seconds, as
the moon advanced rapidly in the dircc.
ton [ to ID. And now The three larger
ones at ID, B grew smaller, fading from
the view about The middle of totality, |
which tact showed them TO have an alti-
tude of about $4,000 miles
At this time the swestern edge of the
moon had advanced suffieiently in its |
course To uncover the pr0tuberances ON
that side, and the three shown from A tn
X flashed on the vision, only the exterior |
portionS being visible at first, but soon
growing out farther and farther. til the |
three exhibited an altitude otat least 90,
900 nlihS lg an aggregate hreadth of fully 1
70 degrees on the baSes. Meanwhile the |
protubcranee at z grewhrger, unsieadily
as the moons edge at that point noarcd |
the Nlge OF the san, hut IL then seemed To 4
decrease shortly bVtore the total phase |
ended, showing an actual change In vol |
ume, though The character oftho outlines
did not perceptibN vary These four
were distinctly visible tin the hast instant.
when they Vanished with the corona, as a |
star disappears nom view when dash oil
lightning inumines the frnAment
The speciroScope had already told us that
these protuheranccs are masses of ;ncan,
descent matter, and some Of its onnstitu.
ent clements have been determined To be
identical with substances familiar to us ne
lrOn, sodium, magnesium and hydrogen
But il was reserved 10 Professor HarkneSs
10 odscover that there is aeonstant decreaSp
in the number Of elements in proportion "a
tine height above the suns surface. Thus