Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-05-13

above would in itself be sufficient to
keep up the combustion and flame for
ages upon ages. There would be i'm
TINS case, however, comparatively
more rapid termination to the era of
combustion. The oxygen would be all
absorbed, the combination into which
1t enters will fill up the metallic ocean
underneath by successive rdeposites,
until an external shell is formed around
its internal fires, and its light goes out
IN perpetual darkness. It's subsequent
history might then be the same as that
through which the Moon has long ago
which has absorbed all its oXy-
gen and other gases and is now moth
ing more than an extinct volcano,
without any atmosphere.
The supposilion that the sun Is sur
rounded by an immense atmosphere of
oxygen, Is by no means a mere specu-
lation. It Is based on facts and is sup
ported by analogies In the geological
history of the earth. During total
eclipse of the Sun when its light il to-
tally excluded from view, it is sur
rounded with ring of light, the coro-
ma, which resembles the "gloryu with
which painters encircle the head of
our Savior. 1t appears suddenly, as
soon as the eclipse becomes total, and
Is always witnessed With astrong emo
ton by the astronomer. 1t extends to
distance equal at least to one-third
of the Suns diameter; sometimes its
breadth is said to be equal to its entire
diameter. 1t is now generally suppos-
cd to be due to an atmosphere sur
rounding the Sun, rejecting n portion
of the light, and extending to a height
of more than two hundred thousand
miles at least, and most likely to doub-
lie or treble that distance. Flamelile
protuberances are seen floating in it,
which are, with good reason, believed
to be clouds, some of which are calcu-
lated to have an absolute height of
not less than eighty thousand miles.
If we suppose that 1t is pure oxygen,
or strongly charged with this gas we
have an ample explanation of the in
tensity and brilllancy of solar light.
When we come to consider the forma-
ton of the Earth and the Moon, we
shall find that there is good reason to
suppose, that there were once such at
mospheres around them also, and that
they had much to do in giving
them their present forms. In the
laboratory of nature, oxygen is the
NiiC hhooJ dSllNS anu uulNclSttl VI an us
agents.
We are are aware, that other theO-
ries of the Sun have been advanced,
which are not without their pleusibili-
ty. Some who adopt the nebuar
theory, suppose that the combustion
going on in the philosophers is kept up
by the fall of aerolites into the atmos-
pherc of oxygen others have suppos-
cd that IL Is due To electrical influences.
The exposition given above we have
advanced, because it seems to be the
most simple, and the most in harmony
with the ftcts in the case, as well rs
with theory and analogies drawn from
other parts of our system. When we
get to know more about the Sun itself,
we will he in n condition to speak
more positively in regard to existing
views of its wonderful economy. For
the present 10 censure ut least can fall
! upon us, if we suppose that the COM
bustion now going on in the Sun can
be explained on the same principle as
that of the burning of candle. The
two are analogous. How this process
| is kept up has been explained by
Professor Airy is n most interesting
article on that subject, to which We
must merely here refer our readers.