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

crease our knowledge, and then we
may gain better insight into solar
PHENOMENA than we now can possess.
We shall employ our theory and see
how far it throws light on facts so far
as they are known and well accredited
at the present time.
As we have already said. the Sun re-
wolves once i'm about twenty-five days.
from west to east, with its axis turned
towards the north. This, as intima-
ted, seems plainly TO connect its motion
with That of the planets, which move
all In the same direction, and appears
to establish the unity of their origin.
so we have also said that the planets
increase in density rs they approach
the Sun. From this it might be infer
red, that the density of the Sun should
be much greater than that of Mercury
and the other planets but it has been
correctly ascertained, that it is not
more than one one-fourth as dense as
our own globe, or u little more than
that of water. This, however. may be
readily accounted for. The structure
of the Sun is much more complicated
than that of the plants. Like the lat
ter, 1t has Il solid nucleus, but, in adj
dition, it has at least three envelopes
around it; first an atmosphere, then
the philosophers, voluminous cover
ing, from which we derive our light,
and third envelope between the pho
tosphere and the solid part underneath.
The nucleus and its first covering were
discovered by the dark spots on the
suns surface, which are immense
openings, through which both may be
seen and clearly distinguished. The
thickness of these two lower envelopes.
which represent to us the apparent
diameter of the Sun, is considerable.
Some have thought that they increase
its diameter at least one-third, if not
fully one-half. If this be borne in
mind, ii will be easy TO perceive, that
the solid part of the Sun il much
smaller than the body which is describ-
ed as the Sun in our books on astrono-
my. After its envelopes have been re-
moved, instead of being nearly nine
hundred thousand miles in diameter.
it may not, in fact, be more than six
hundred thousand miles (; and, as the
envelopes are gaseous and very rare i'm
their character, we have the best rea-
son for supposing, that the Sun itself
is very dense, by far the densest body
in the system, as is required 10y theory.
But ii the diameter of the Sun be
Sui III Wis way W liit CAlelll Oh
one or two hundred thousand miles,
still it would be an immense body, con-
tanning mass of matter greater than
that OF Jupiter or Saturn, or of all the
planets taken together. The result of
such IA vast HDmOer OF atoms all press
ing towards n common centre, may be
easily conceived. AS atoms cannot
touch each other or be brought in ac-
tual contact, i'll consequence of the
tpswer or repulsion with which they
are all endowed their pressure upon
each other must be such as to gener-
ate an almost irsuperable repulsion,
and us consequence, a degree of mol
ocular activity III the interior part of
the Sun, which would produce all the
conditions of an inconceivable degree
OF internal heat. This antagonism Of
ATOMS, in the closest conflict with each
other, would present the nearest APP
proach to a perfectly elastic body,
| which, when once thrown into n vibra-
tory motion, must continue TO Vibrate
/ forever. Such, we conceive, has been
the condition Of the sun from the be-
/ ginning down to the present time. In
! this last irrepressiblc conflict OF atoms,
we find, If not strickly "a perpetual, at
/ least, a permanent source OF its heat,
/
wears, or as long MS the world stands
! Such a state OF molecular activity must
! have the effect of reducing the atoms
on the surface of the compressed sphere
TO the form OF gas or VapOr, which,
with its intense elacticity, must extend
TO great distance from its surface. AS
the heat of the sun eXcites the repel-
liant energies of watery particles from
all parts of the ocean, much more
must similar, but IA much more en-
esgetic process of evaporation be con-
tinually taking place from the surface
| of the.Sun. BY the dark lines seen on
the solar spectrum, the very elements
of which the Sun is composed have
been identified. They are mostly me-
tallic, and, as it would seem, with q
predominance of iron. The eXhala-
lions, as we may call them, from the
inner surface of the Sun, which ART
doubtless liquid, are then composed
mostly of atoms of iron, and its frs
covering consists of an atmosphere 81
iron. Intensely elastic, it Is not per
fectly transparent, and may be seoi
surrounding the dark portions of the
solor spots as penumbra. IL has I
somewhat blush appearance, which Il
usually accounted for, by supposint
that ii is the comparatively dark por
lion of the Sun seen through medium
not perfectly transparent. Thus
dark mountain appears blue when seel
through hazy atmosphere.
The metallic atmosphere, owing 4
the highly excited repulson of the par
ticles, must expand itself in all direc
tions to an immense distance. Blu
above and beyond il must meet will
] -. ,,.nat, AZ far,. .snhgtanRfQ Dr nngSpE
which have been pushed up by tn
evaporation from beneath, but whicl
still remains permanently attached {
the sun by the force of graVitation. l
we suppose that this external gaseou
envelope is oxygen, or preVaillngly 50
for which we have good reasons, w
shall then have all the conditions a
hand 10 account for the formation q
the DhotOsphere, or the bright portion
of the sun which we see with our eyes
. A heated atmosphere ofiron comm
4 in contact with one of oxygen woul
result in combustion and fire, OF fam
: of the most intense brilliancy. In
!, student of chemistry well knows, tina
I a rod of iron sufficiently heated, whe
(, placed in pure oxygen, is consume
4 like n piece of wood and emits a mos
!, dazzling and brilliant light during I'll
process. The ashes, or new substanC
7 formed, is an oxide of iron, which n
II doubt weighs more than the origini
q piece of iron.
= The oxides formed in the SUMS PHI
q tosphere would fall down upon its su
n face, like snow, hail or rain, when OF
If own atmosphere Is overcharged wit
"a ascending Vapors. If the mOlecul,
i octiVity of the suns surface shoul
- | have the effect of QeONidiZing the
l. oxides, in whole or in part, after the
= through another process of coInbu
4 tion, and so ON forever. This Won
Al be in some respects analogous 10 q
10 rise and fall of Vapors ON the surface
ms the earth. The rivers continue TO RI
M into the sea; they never become emp
~ -. il,n n.,n hnIl ", nnn.n.nlnA1l., Of III