Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-12-01
Discoveries In The Sun.


Astronomers are busy in all parts OF the
world studying the nature of the suns sur
face and atmosphere, the wonderful dis
coyeries of the spectroscope having given
a new impulse to this branch OF inquiry.
Mr. Janssen's method of studying the red
protuberances, which were formerly sup
posed capable of being seen only in time
of eclipse, is now practiced daily in many
observatories - .-
BY this method Mr.. Lockyer, an English
spectroscopist, has discovered that the solar
protu berances are local aecumulations of a
gaseous envelope, which completely sur
rounds the SUM- He finds this to be mar
vellously regular in its contour, and to have
thickness of about five thousand miles
This he has given the name of the suns
cbron0spbers. It lies Immediately contigu-
Gus to the bright surface of the sun. It
consists chiefly of hydrogen; while the
protuberances that break up the continuity
of its outline are vast masses Of incandes-
cent hydrogen and other vapors, elected
from time to time from the luminous mass
of the sun into the chromosphere.
The beautiful halo, called the corona,
seen to encircle the sun in total eclipses,
was also observed by spectroscopists during
the last two ecGpses. In the eclipse of last
year, when the spectroscOpe was directed
on the corona, only faint continuous
spectrum was observed, without bright or
dark lines. But during the late eclipse
some of the American observers noticed
one OF more bright lines. Professor Young,
of Dartmouth College, spoke Of three as
being visible in his spectroscope; and what
is worthy Of special notice, one of these
lines correspondent precisely in position
with a bright line that had previously been
found to belong to the light Of the aurora
borealis
In connection with this important dis
covery another made by Angstrom should
be mentioned. 1t is that bright band
which he had several times observed in the
spectrum from the light OF auroral arches,
was also TO be detected in that from the 70
dlacaI light, the substance of which is known
to pervade the entire space between the
sun and the earth. We are thus led to in
fer that the same substance is present in
the immediate vicinity of the sun, where
the radiations of the corona are seen.
throughout the fields of space that lie be-
tween the sun and earth, and in the upper
regions Of the earth's atmosphere where
the auroral fires are kindled.
These discoveries lend a powerful sup
port to the theory advocated by Professor
Norton, of Yale College, in his treatise on
astronomy, that the corona is solar phe-
nomen0n analogous to terrestrial auroras;
that Its seeming radiations are at the same
time lines ofelectric discharge, and streams
OF luminous matter flowing off into space;
that the same material emahations are seen
IN tranSjtu IN the zodiacal light and furnish
the matter of terrestrial auroras. 1t is
maintained by the author of this theory
that 1t furnishes an adequate explanation
of the disturbing action Of the sun upon
the magnetic needle, which, though 3D.
GOO, coo miles distant from the sun, trem-
bles and sways to and fro in sympathy with
those Intense activities which are in opera
ton on the suns surface, and originate dark
and bright spots on his disc; also, of the
correspondence observed to subsist be-
tween the periods of aurorarS, as we'll as of
the disturbances of the magnetic needle
and those of the solar spots.
1t Is now pretty generally admitted that
the corona is not the proper atmosphere of
the sun, that this does not in fact extend
more than a few thousand miles from the
suns bright surface, while the corona
streams forth into space, III some directions
to the distance Of million miles The
theory that til corona Is essentially a solar
aurora, appears TO find more favor with the
observers of the late eclipse, than any 9TH
OI NuIGIl HIS DCCh GdNdICOC. IGOI6SSOE
Morton, in the report of the observations
of his party, advocates it, and adduces
strong arguments drawn from the results Of
the observations in its support.-N 7. Post.
MINING CASUALTY IN GUANAJUATo, Mex
Ico. A fearful accident occurred at the
mine n Jesus Maria, in the state of Guiana
juato ON the 9th nit. While some of the
men were engaged at work in the sand
mine an immense mass OF rock, over q
hundred thousand pounds weight, fell
upon theIa. The news of this terrible ac-
cident soon spread all oyer the town of
Mineral de la Luz. People began to flock
to the spot OF the disaster by hundreds, and
at IL o'clock, a. M. over 5000 persons
crowded the mouth of the nine begging
for permission to enter the, mine to see II
any of their relatives had persisted. Being
refused, they crowded the streets, rending
the air with their doleful cries, and the
place bore death-like aspect difficult to
describe. a short time afterward the I'M
fortunate miners were taken out, when it
was aseertained that only fourteen of their
number had persisted. -BroloaSUiUe Teas
RdBcbero, A0U. z.