New-York tribune., 1872-05-21

Sun has been growing either warmer or coider'
The apparent constancy of the solar heat wouid
seem to lead to the conclusion that the sun Is rece
ING as much as he throws off. The sources OF the
supply have been the subject of earnest research pu'
thus far without avail Meyers theory that the soiar
heat due to the ncesSant fall of meeors ih'o 'no
sun has been refuted by subsequent nvestiga'ions'
The hypothesis proposed by Williams VINO hnuS
the fuel of the Sun in universal atmosphere through
which the bodies of the solar system pass is sun i
satisfactory. But the seeming paradox Is s'.io.N
true that a substance which is losing neat ias'e,
than it receives it does not necessarily Ian
in temperature. Hence it is possible that the
Sun may continually be losing neat "tnou'
receiving any important supplies from "iVno""
and vet retain the temperature whiie IL uluei
goes some other change in the molecular constltu-
ton of its materials. This is the view most schei
alv accepted at present although the precise nature
Of the molecular changes which disengage such
boot s nv no means certain. At all events such an
evolution can not 90 ON forever. There is continual
nrooress towards an end, and nothing but the inter
position of creative power can avert the ne'i'"Oi0
crisis of the final extinction OF the sun.
Tho promlnences on the surface of the sun as
revealed Inv spectroscoplc observation are described
with singular clearness by Professor Young, VINO
presents the results of his own personal researches
which have given him eminent rank among 'he
practical astronomers of the day. Although theSc
nrominenees vary in appearance and magnitude as
much as our terrestrial clouds, they may be dlVlueu
into two classes-the eruptive prominences and the
the cloud-foImed prominences. The latter are not
very brilliant but are frequently of great SIZE from
10000 to $1,000 miles in hight, and of even greater
length. In structure they sometimes resemble
stratus cloud, but are more generally clrrl-
form, made up Of little wisps and flaments
whose delicate beauty defes description. The
erupiye prominences are very different and far more
active. They are often mere streams OF intensely
brilliant light rising straight and sharp, but COM
monty inclined from the vertical. Not unfrequently
they attain hight of 1900 10000 miles IN few
minutes and then sink down to be followed by 9th
ers Sometimes they closely resemble jets OF water
rising and falling back in graceful curves. Besides
the streameIs and Jets we have many other forms OF
the eruptive prOminences. They ere often III shape
| like gigantic mushrooms, sometimes like great pyra
mids. and then again like the smoke of distant
| steamer The cause Of these wonderful eruptlons Is
| thus far unknown.
Tho corona. or the crown and halo of glory which
encircles the Sun during eclipse, is the subject OF
the closing section of this admirable essay. From
time immemOrial this magnificent spectacle has ex-
cited the enthusiastic wonder of every behodeT It's
impressve beauty surpasses the conception OF those
| who have not seen it for themselves. On such an
OCCASION if the sky is clear the moon appears OF al
| most inLv hackness except q little difiuse light
| around the limb Her outline is surrounded by a
ring of peary greenish light, of dazzling briliian-
CIV at it's inner edge, where it contrasts with the
| still more brilliant prominences that blaze ike
| burning rubies. This gradually fades out
toward its outer limit, until it terminates in an
irregular and very indefinite boundary 1t is always
distinctly radiant in its structure made up of fila
| meuts nearly perpendicular to the surface OF the
SUM- but in many places strangely curved and inter
| twined For the sake of distinction, this is called
| the inner corona. A beautiful photograph OF tins
phenomenon was obtained by Professor Wlnlochs
party of the eclipse of 1869, while Mr.. Brotherss
picture of the eclipse of 1870 in Sicily shows of
the difuse light and gives some idea of the ap-
pearance of the iris. The cause Of these appear
ances still remains an unsettled problem. We only
know that the corona is Of a composite character of
which part is solar part terrestrial, and part OF
vet uncertain origin That the inner corona is a
solar envelope was first demonstrated by the spec
troscope at the eclipse of 1863. In 1868 the prom
inences attracted the chief attention of Astronomical
observers, and although the bright line of the
corona spectrum appears to have been SEEN
it was not recognized as cOronal, and the
result announced led to no definite conclusion.
| 1t was not until 1869 that especial attention was
paid the corona, when it found by the author
of this essay and Professor HarknesS that Its spec
| trum was marked by brilliant green line. This
line the famous 1474, comedies with distinct
dark line in the solar spectrum described by KrchOff
and Angstrom as due to iron. One of the observers
saw also two other faint lines which he thought
might probably be coronal, but this observation has
since been only partially confirmed. But one line is
no less conclusive than a Thousand a demOnstra-
tiOn that any selfluminOus must be solar.
So late accordingly as 1870 and again in December,
1871 the observation was completely verified and as
far as concerns the inner the question may
! be considered as settled
We have space to present in fuller detail an ac
count of Professor YOungs instructive cxpostiOns of
the most important and difficult of the solar phe-
n0mena. His essay, which was at first delivered
| alecture before the Yale Scientific Club, is a model
| Ct condensation and lucidity. 1t is now published
as,one of the University Series and will doubtless
| find cordial reception from studious readers as
suggestive monograph in the branch of science to
l which it isdevoted. more appropriate introduce
/ ton TO the astronomy Of the Sun cannot easily be
| found, and could hardly be desired.
| A new edition of the autobiography of
Hsraee Greeley entitled Recolleetions of Busy Life"
brOssgh down te the present time, is press,
will speedily be issued by T. b. TEea No Broadway
n. Y. Copies eaR be had at THE,TRBuNE Office This
work. beside its copious details respecting the personal
OF tie author contains variety Of "reminiscences