Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-08-20

digits high, the upper third part being di-
vided irregularly into tongues OF light,
formed by assembages of rays. Between
these larger masses the circumference of
the lunar orb was filled up by radiate lines
of brilliant light, extending on an average
a digit and half in height, of 125, 900 miles
from the suns surface. 1t was noticeable
that this continuous band was the most
narrow on the lower left hand side South
west by south) averaging about thirds
of the width elsewhere, and was badly
broken on it's entire outline, asif the regu-
larity were interfered with by the action
of the string of bead-like protuberances
jutting up through the interior portion of
it's volume. a .t
The full amount of this irregularity was
not perceptible with the naked eye, but the
general distribution of long and short rays
was the same. To the unaided vision the
narrower portions of the corona were visi-
BILE and bright but the tongue-like extern
sions faded out into nothingness, whereas
the 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-
tons were exactly as laid down here they
were estimated at the instant, and trans
ferred to paper directly; but the time al
lowed for observation Qess than three
minutes) was so short that it can scarcely
be considered possible to reproduce every
part of the outline with unfailing accu-
racy.
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 as is here represented, probably for 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 protuberances, and have preserved the
impress of as much of its breadth as cor
responds to distance of 105, 900 miles from
the suns body, whence we may conclude
that the philosophers extends to at least
that distance, while the observations of
Prof. Lane show that at three-fOurths OF
that distance it possesses enough of il
Eliminating power to light up the moons
surface to an extent sufficient to cause a
reflection of it's rays through distance of
23S, 900 miles, ~
A legitimate conclusion from this, and
through spectroscopic observations de-
tailed in our reports, is that the solid body
of the sun is surrounded by a self-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 lisa non-luminous
envelope or atmosphere, shining to us by
means of the light received from the inte-
~ oh .aI, 4 70
This on-luminous envelope or atmosphere
must be at least 100000 miles in thickness,
and perhaps twice that amount, as its
density must decrease with the distance
till it loses it's reflective power 1t is not
impossible that the prolongation in the di-
rection G. 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 mythical
belt of planetoids.
THE PROTUBERANCEs.
These are represented ON the diagram
in black; their apparent color was a pink
red. The instant that the last film of light,
with its middle at ID, had vanished, leaving
the sun i'm utter darkness, and simulta-
neOusly with the outfash of the corona,
the line of protuberances extending from
p to B also burst upon the view. The one
at the lowest point was the largest. All
saw the upper portion, which occupied
about 16 degrees on the moons disc, and
projected $4,000 miles from the suns edge,
or fully one-half the average height of
the philosophers. DR.. Hilgard saw and
described the lower, or pendant portion,
which was estimated to be 100000 miles
long, by 10000 miles wide, making total
protrusion of 10000 miles The protuber-
ance at L, and the one Immediately below
it, were 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-
fully-shaped ones near the eastern quar-
ter, which were also more faint in outline,
seeming as if one part lay far behind the
other, which crosses it in the diagram.
Hence the cross-shaped figure at B was
probably made up of two Independent
protuberances, the horizontal portion ~
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