Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-06-05
some Ideas About the San.


and set daily, and how 1t is the source of
light and heat; but as perhaps not many
have heard of the new facts lately dis
closed concerning IL we shall offer few
familiar explanations on tho subject. In
the first place, let us pave the way by
mentioning that the size OF volume of the
sun Is 1900, 600 times greater than our
earth. IL is scarcely possible to form a
correct notion Of this extraordinary mag
nitude; for 1t battles all ordinary concep.
tlons. We may be assisted by the follow
ing fact: The mean distance of the moon
from the earth is 237, 900 miles, at which
distance is Its orbit all round. Now, so
vast is the size of the sun that II Is twice
as great as the moons orbit. In other
words, If we conceive the earth placed in
the center at the sun, with the moon re-
volving round 1t, that orbit would still be
at depth within the sun of more than
$4,000 miles from its surface. lf
The distance of the sun from the earth
is calculated to be 81 600 900 of miles, and
across this space light travels in eight and
half minutes, or at the rate of 10000
miles in second of time. At the same
rate of speed, IL is calculated that light
from the remotest and faintest stars in our
stellar system does not reach the earth in
less than $500 years. The rays of light
Moses and the patriarchs are only now
becoming visible. Although 01,000,000
of miles distant, the sun, by the use
Of powerful telescopes, can be brought to
an apparent distance of q hundred and
eighty thousand miles. Nearer the pres
ent appliances of science cannot bring it.
But who can tell what yet may be done
in the telescopic art? Future astronomers
may be able to bring the apparent dis
tance very much less than a hundred and
eighty thousand miles. Even at that dis
tance, however, things can be distin-
guished by various instruments of mod
ern invention, which will surprise those
who do not keep in mind the prodigious
dimensions and luminous character of the
object looked at. To us the sun appears
large brilliant ball, sailing grandly
across the heavens. To the inhabitants
of the sun-if there were such-the earth
would look little bigger than pea-a
thing barely noticeable.
Although the sun is twelve hundred
thousand times greater than the earth, its
weight is moi in the same proportions. 1t
is only three hundred thousand times
heavier than the earth; so that, bulk for
bulk, it is only one-quarter as dense.
This want of density, however, is com.
pensated for by its vast size, so that its
mass is sufficient to attract the various
planets, and keep them whirling round il
at their respective distances. The com
paratively large bulk furnishes the ad
vantage of radiating from spacious sur
face the qualities of light and heat-al
circumstances as regards ends to be
served being of the finest possible adjust
ment. The sun and its attendant planets
with their sub-planets or moons, consti
tute together machine of such marvel
Gus perfection and regularity that, aftel
numberless ages, the process of move
ment, according to set laws, has under
gore no appreciable arrangement
Our wonder at this stupendous accu
racy is lost in the knowledge that, afte
all, the sun, with its planetary system, i
mere unit in creation. Scientificall,
speaking, the sun is star. 1t is Just on
of the many stars in the tirmament
Every one of the myriads of stars visibl
to the eye is sun rotating in its owl
assigned portion of space, with, in al
probability, planetary bodies wheelin
around It. Even that does not complet
the wonder Translated to the most dis
tant of these suns, we should still see sun
at immeasurable distances; and so on W
might go, travelling through an eternity G
suns and attendant worlds-the journe
endless, on and on forever. Can any on
think of this prolific magnifcence with
out lifting up his heart in awe and adm
ration of the Almighty creator and SUI
tainer Let US, however, come down t
particulars about the sun in her own sy
TEN.
The common notion is, that it is pur,
same surface. Investigations do not su
tain the belief as to uniformity of al
pearance. 1t is ascertained to turn on il
axis like our own earth, with this diffe
ence, that instead of four-and .twent
hours its complete rotation require
about five-ana-twenty days. Acquainte
with this fact, we are led to understan
some of the more remarkable phenomen
of the sun. These consist of certai
dark spots of different dimensions, an
very irregular outlines, which are disco'
cred on its surface. The spots seemingl
shift their relative position. The shiftin
is Only apparent, being partly due to tn
rotation, which exhibits the surface
different points of view. The nature G
these spots has been matter of muc
speculation, and even now the questio
regarding them is not quite settled. A.
suming that the sun is substantially
dark body, surrounded with shinin
surface, region of ght-and.heat. givin
vapor radiating earthward and sunwarC
called the phOtoSphere, it was thought
DIR. Wilson, of Glasgow, in 1869, that tn
dark spots were cavities or openings i
this luminous surface through which tn
body of the sun was visible. Recent il
quiries tend to confirm this opinion
Usually, as is observed, the dark spo
are environed by bright streaks of will,
fantastic appearance, spoken of as facllLC
the Latin word for torches. There
however, great difficulty in coming to an
distinct idea of the spots, for, indepen,
emily of the apparent shifting by rotation
they sometimes assume the most extrao
dinary changes in single day, or frol
hour to hour. Their size is tremendou
A width of 10000 miles across is not u
common-a size more than sufficient
swallow up a body several times the sil
OF the habitable globe.
That the sun has not perfectly smoot
surface is now thoroughly known by o
servations made during solar eclipse
When the body of the moon covers IL
disc of the luminary it is seen that thel
are huge protuberances of red COLI
projecting like mountain masses beyon
the edges of the photosphere. 1t is onl
when the dazzling light of the phot
sphere is hid that these become visibl
On such occasions photograph is take
by suitable apparatus, and picture
secured of the projections, along with IL
luminous corona or glory surroundin
the darkened body. Besides what seel
to be comparatively permanent proje
tions from th@ suns disc, there are o.
served to be streams of flame shootin
wildly out to a height of thousands
miles. These flames, which are red in a.
pearance, are believed TO consist of incai
descent gases, bursting from the body
the sun like the torrents of fiery vapC
from volcano. The height reached /
the flames is reckoned to be at times
least 7e,000 miles above the philosopher
Flames SO lofty and so magnificent in d
mensions fill one with astonishment. v
call them flames for want of any 9th,
term to express their appearance. Pro
Harlv sneak inn thav ara dam On ct troffOno