The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-21
at the observatory we have judged that we
might make the same remark. Tho cnaDge
must be attributed to magnesium. It ID lm-
possible to consider attentively
THE REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE

recorded by Tacchinl without being struck oy
the evidence which 1t affords OF solar mutaoilt'
ty. We know that during thousands OF years
our sun has poured forth his light and neat
upon The WORLDS which circle around him, and
that there has been no marked intermittence
| OF the supply. We hear, indeed, OF occasions
when the sun has been darkened for while
and we have abundant reasons for believing
that he has at times been 80 Bpot-covered that
there has been q notable diminution Of the
supply of light and heat for several days
together. Yet we have had no reasons tor
anticipating that our Gun might permanently
lose so much of his heat and lustre that the
inhabitants of earth wonld suffer. Tacchinis
observation reminds us, however, that pro-
cesses are at work upon the sun which admit
of being checked or increased, interrupted al.
together or exaggerated 30 Violently las it were,
that the whole aspect OF the sun, his condition
aS ..
THE FIRE AND LAMP
of the planetary system, may be seriously affect
ed. five oply rem ember that our sun Is one of
the stars not in any way distinguished, unless
perhaps BY relative insignihcance, from the
great bulk of the stars which illuminate our
skies at night or are revealed by the telescope,
we shall learn to recognize the possibility that
he may undergo marked changes. These are
stars which, after shining with apparent
stpadIness for thousands OF years (possibly for
millions of years before astronomy was
Thought of. J have become suddenly much re-
duced In brightness, Or after few fIckere las
It were) have gone cut altogether. There are
others which have shone With equal sieadIness
and have then suddenly 0lazed out Tor while
with lustre exceeding a!n9ndred-foid that
which they formerly possessed. 1t would be
equally unpleasant lor ourselves whether the
s,in suddeuly lost: the best part OF his light
and presently went out altogether, or wnetEer
he suddenly grew u!
FrFrY-FoLD BRIGHTER;ASD HOTTER
than he now is. Yet ln the present position
of sidereal astronomy, 1t Ia quite Impossible to
essert confidently that one event or the other
might not take place at any Time. Fortunately
We NAV view this matter Gust as astronomers
have learned to view the prospect of mschler-
GUS collisions with comets, as question OF
probabilities. Among 80 many thousands OF
stars there have been 30 many sudden out
bursts of light and fire, 80 many sunder de-
falcalions OF splendor. Our Sun is one Of those
thousands, and so far as We know takes his
chance with the rest. Precisely, then, es we
derive confidence from the law OF probabilities,
that since so many only out of so many mil
lions perish by lightning or any other specified
form Of injury, any indiylouai person Is sunllke-
reason about our sun-that since only small
proportion of his fellow suns undergo
DISASTROUS CHANGES,
he Is unlikely to be one of tho unfortuuates.
It may be- that one of these days, when We
obtain clearer ideas of the structure of The sid.
ereal universe than we at present possess, we
NAV obtain more satisfactory reasons Tor con.
ldsnce. The. analysis OF stars with the spec
troscope, the recently proposed processes OF
star gauging, the application Of new methods
of determining star motions, these and other
researches may show what are the conditions
which render SUMS tenure of Office precar-
IoGs Let 1t be hoped that when this has been
accomplished, large majority OF the cond.
lions in question will be found, In The case of
our own sun, to be favorable to the perma-
nence of his position as fire, light, and lite of
the planetary 81 stem.