The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-08-19

the lower left quarter q 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 dropped out of sight
in rapid succession in few seconds. As
the moon advanced rapidly in the direc
ton Z to ID. And now the three larger
ones at ID, b grew smaller, fading from
the view about the middle of totality,
which fact showed them to have an alti-
tude of about $4,000 miles.
| AT this time the western edge of the
| moon had advanced sufficiently in its
course to uncover the prOtuberances on
| that side, and the three shown from A to
| IL 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 of at least 90
OOO miles, by an aggregate breadth of fully
20 degrees on the base. Meanwhile the
protuberance at p grew larger, unsteadily,
as the moons edge at that point neared
the edge of the sun, but it then seemed to
decrease shortly before the total phase
ended, showing an actual change in vol
ume, though the character of the outlines
did not perceptibly vary. These four
were distinctly visible till the last instant,
when they vanished with the corona, as IA
star disappears from view when "A flash of
| lightning illumines the armament
The spectroScope had already told us that
| these protuberanceS are masses of incan-
descent matter, and some of its cOnstitu-
ent elements have been determined to be
| identical with substances familiar to us. as
IRON, sodium, magnesium and hydrogen.
| But 1T was reserved to Professor Hardness
| to discover that there is constant decrease
III the number OF elements in proportion to
the height above the suns surface Thus
the summit contains no element but hy-
drogen, and sodium appears little lower,
while iron is, possibly, the element to rise
with the greatest difficulty, and to fall back
| soonest into the bosom of the sun. We
have also reason to believe that these pro-
tuberances are identical with the dark
masses known as "spOts" when seen on
that part of the suns atmosphere which is
between us and his body
| CONSTITUTION OF THE SUM-
So much, then, we know of the consti-
tuition of the sun that he is surrounded by
Il double atmosphere, and that the interior
one is selfluminous and the scene of v J.
| lent changes connected with the formation
/
descent matter We know, further. tn
many of the substances which are found
in large quantities on the earth exist also;
in the sun, and we may reason from anal
ogy that other yet undiscovered terrene
elements join these to make up the grand
total OF solar matter But beyond this lies
a vast void belonging to the regions of the
unknown; probably much that will for
| ever remain unknOwable Nv mortal.
But where knowledge ends speculation be-
| gins.
| 1t has been thought that the luminous
and nOn-luminOus atmospheres of the sun
are like two air strata in our atmosphere
not absolutely separable, nor divided by a
line the position of which can be in
dictated. This is, we believe, the general
theory with those who entertain one, that it
is but genera. distinction, like the discrim-
nation between upper and lower portions
of our atmosphere, the one merging
into the other by imperceptible grada-
ton, and the self-luminOsity ceasing only
when the density becomes too small to adj
NIT of that intensity of vibration which is
supposed necessary to originate the Sensa-
ton of light.
This may be so, but it seems quite as
probable that the suns condition is similar.
in respect to form, with that of the earth
before the continents were upheaved by
volcanic force. Then the ocean covered
the land, and was itself surrounded bv an
outer atmosphere of air. the two oceans,
then as now, not only balancing each
'thor' hut being mutually necessary to the
integrity OF character pertaining to each.
vi course 1t is not necessary that the
photosphere should be composed Of any,
thing like what we call water, and indeed
we nave no particular reason to believe
that oxygen, the chief constituent OF
water, IS present at all But it is neces-
Sarily somewhat dense fluid, and is
probably in state of more intense motion
than any intermOvement of particles of
which we have any knowledge There is
no doubt that this fluid is also intensely hot,
but that is probably not result of combus-
tIon,and is more consequence of its rapid
motion than necessary condition of heat
in the solar rays So far as we know,
light and heat are phenomenal only-mere
conditions, not material entitieS-and these
sensations are communicated only by the
intermediate vibrations of material parti-
cles. 1t is always cold on the tops of high
mountains, though there be level enough
to admit OF large amount of earth radi-
alton, and we must conclude that the differ
ence is principally due to Il lcssened density
of the atmosphere, which presents fewer
particles to be vibrated in the passage of
the solar rays; hence less of motion;
| hence less of the sensation of heat. The
suns rays are warm and light to US only
because they vibrate through certain
media. Take away those media, and the
sensation is absent.
We have every reason to believe that
the earth and moon have existed under
somewhat similar conditions to those now
witnessed in the sun, with this probable
difference that the earth has IA compare
tive excess of oxygen, and the sun of
hydrogen, while the moon is deficient of
both of those elements. To this difference
we may perhaps look for consolation
against the fear that the sun will be burned
out ultimately, and leave our pOsterity a
thousand generations hence to die out of
cold. The above view is perfectly consist
ent, too with the idea that the sun may be
IA fit residence for animated beings, organ
| lied in adaptation to the situation and en-
ables us to drop the difficulty which meets
us in the attempt to conceive of an eter-
nally selfsustaining confiagration.
Nomination Of PendIetOn.
| THE nomination of George H. Pendleton
L A n