Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-10-11
THE sPEcTR0SeOPE.
Marvellous Discoveries.

The doubts and uncertainties enter
tanned in regard to the causes of some
of the most interesting phenomena o
nature, have disappeared through it
revelations, and the Investigation
have demonstrated the beauty and har
mony which characterize all the law
of nature operating within the range
and powers of the instrument.
A few years ago Prof Bunsen, a dis
tinguished European Chemist, was
making some experiments in his lab
aratory with prism of glass, the light
from a gas-burner. a small platinum
wire. and various chemical substances
with view of discovering some new
method of chemical analysis. The re-
suit of these investigations was sue
cess, unparalleled in the annals OF
analytical science, and it is believed
that we have only seen the dawning
light of the wonders, which will, sooner
or later, be revealed through this in
strument, as Investigators penetrate
deeper into the arcana, and traverse
wider the vast domain of universal
nature.
The Spectroscope is composed Of
three parts: the lens, the slit and the
telescope. The slit is narrow open
ing in the end of the instrument; when
light passes through it, it falls upon
the lens in parallel lines, and from
thence to prison of flint glass, and is
refracted to the eye of the observer at
a telescope, or upon screen, where
the view of the spectrum produced is
to be seen-the rays being dispersed,
and resolved into their constituent
parts.
A spectrum is simply a band of
light obtained wherever light from any
source passes through prism. 1t is
either continuous or interrupted.
What is known in our Natural Phil
osophies as the orismatic spectrum, is
continuous, because all the premitive
colors, and their various shades are
distinctly defined the red being first,
because least refracted or bent from a
straight line; and the violet being the
last, because its refrangibilityis greater
than either the orange, the yellow, the
green or the blue. In the interrupted
or discontinuOus spectrum part of
the colors are only given; resulting
from the condition or character of the
substance which is the source of the
light. We can determine with mathe-
NAUTICAL certainty, by examining the
spectrum of any luminous object,
whether it is solid or liquid, or whether
it is gaseous. If its light is thrown
into the Spectroscope and it gives a
continuous spectrum; We know that
it is either solid or liquid; but, if it
gives an interrupted spectrum-if any
of the colors are wanting we know
that the body from which the light is
reflected is gaseous.
1t is also known, that no two solids
or liquids, or no two gases have SINH
lar spectrums. The patientand labor
iOus researches of the chemists have,
thus far, revealed sixty-three simple
substances on the surface of the earth;
out of which all compound substances
are composed. Each one of these has
its own particular spectrum, which can
be detected in whatever it may be COM
bined. All that is necessary to effect
this, is to convert it into incandescent
which may be done by means
of the powerful heat, of what is known
as the electric arc; which will convert
all of them into vapOr, and hence their
spectra can be obtained and their pre-
sence determined.
The solar spectrum is one that is re-
garded with peculiar interest. The
nature of the intense light radiated
from the luminous coats, was for CEN
turtles anterior to the discovery of the
Spectroscope, the subject of many
learned discussions, based upon theory
and the widest speculations. But
when the light was applied to the lit
tie instrument, its constituent elements
were at once revealed-made apparent
by the most incOntestable evidence.
The spectra of eighteen different ele-
ments were defned-iron, titanium,
sulphur, calcium, cobalt and manga
nese predOminating.
In the volitization of any metal,
certain number of lines appear in its
spectrum by which it is known. BY
comparing, then, the spectra of the
suns elements, with those that are
known on the earth's surface; their
correspondence establishes the fact of
their presence in it.
The distance of the sun does not
circumscribe the powers of this won
dcrful instrument; for the light of
many of the fixed stars has been ana
liked; also, of comets, the planets, the
dim light of far distant clusters, and
the faintest nebulae,
In the great nebula of Orion, there
is a cluster of six stars in its centre:
they are distinct in the clOud-like
lumir 0sity which surrounds them. The
spectrum of these stars is like that Of
the sun; but, that of the nebula gives
lines that are beautiful in their radi-
ance, and indicating that it is glowing
gas, greatly attenusted and intensely
heated.
If the powers of the instrument
stopped with such revelations as these;
we would still regard it with wonder
and amazement: but they do not end
here: for even the motions of the
stars are determined by it, as well as
their velocity in the depths and i'm
of illimitable space.
BY observations on Sirius it is shown,