, 1874-07-09


,e e. noya,,ant i ie ta shows eniFe f5estum fron
@ ii Sy a eo: e. s Witt sw.p
oTcr tho SUMS isk at the ratio of 800 miles second,
md extended ia lniI far tho orbit Of Anrs. The
sun h.ve rss 100 e rs rsrdy as
thu nucleus, nld ahort 1900 tEmeB faster tlian tho
tarth IN describing is annual orbit.
Finding that tGo OBJECTS Of graylsatlon foil to ao-
COUNT for such anomalous moyulnentn astronomers
lays been gonoraly disposcd to ascrGs sotnow!,at
Inherent character TO tbs !enomcnon. According 10
Enlar aud Dolatre. tic A ia composed Of utcrisls
sersrste from thc concs BY tho nnltp Of soar rays
sraon to tle electrical repu]son Of Tho aun. But to
ro5, n ne constantly Ringing with tho central u.
ita orbit and tle sun could acarcoly communicate tho
requisite centrifugal motiun II lila ropnlsiye power
were one hundred Thousand tlnca al powerful 81 h!a
attraction. SLOW the movements Of tue several inct-
oern OF tho sonr syste show that thu rcpelinH power
o. S % oro M .s any % s st 70 er
aud astronomer hAs hitherto found 1t ucceeaary to
tako into consideration tho slight inluonco which II
1Ietts even OH conotnry prt,itB.
light
WHICH NAY oryr n1an
TO tho extraordinary appearances attending the r0-
turns of coit.os 10 Tho Interior Of tnu soar domain.
Among the numerous chon!cal nBoUies which wo arn
permitted to command, tho sohr rays hold pron'i-
Nent place, ami their power Of affecting dccoipDsi-
t4ons and Inducing chemical changea il tnucA to
considerable e1ont. not only by tho bodies which rc-
H. CT lucille AleO QY u tlH
through which ttcy ire transmitted. suIphafe ut
qnine null many othce fluids, nTo found carablo OF
altering tho nature md the ehomjeal eeeny Of TUG
Light which passes through them, weakening ammo 0f
tn rays aud rendering others more energetic III tAolr
action. 1n such cases must e observed that these
the light, and It would TINT lhr properties aro
,nuAitoi by tho work they uro called to lrfortn.
These and .her analogous rcsul's have lcd 1no to
10 be confirmed by many atrking facts: Ths virgin
matter Of sioso co,ncts which como from rc'aote M
sssp to bo III nneneo ii ha 81 g @ an tho
raYs which paHs through the onyeloEo nst experiences
d vory great change. Their chemical power would
catori1c rays mud probably by tho play Of affinity ~
the matorsar, AZ tho te1ul erattlre ~ elevated. II
space cont any matter w!sh nignt setso to fese
cacs between tile rays nent through tho comet, md
those rayersng The rest Of tho don'an would he VI
SECULAR change In ths orb!t Of Enckes cone an from
o,ltr facts. that rare medium Ia disseminated
through tho ner-planotaTy regon and It VII a 10
Of auld capablo OF conveying light, but also OF
LuU1FInouB E1uLR,
which srataina tho peri et1la 1rilanty Of SIMS. 1t Is
on hs tiue 1uattur th Tho light transmitted through
tho body Of colet oxerts IT. acton, Inducing Changes
Of lucfcrouB charactr aud fornng he tais Or visit
blu truis which these bodies east behind them. TAera
alpeudagcs composed of co.dot:ry n,atsor, tlan
ihe com position of tns object whch il las Iton eua-
bed to rcpresen by similar mysterious agency OF tue
aolhr rays. :,
this theory, I shall now show that even tho light
Of distant nunH, On lassug through tho comets
2, our y a%as e0a y o u aSsr =
Epnce. It oug matter OF sIrpriE0 that tho V;sS
oxpapso Of nebuloas matter surrounding the nueeils
could not aens.by obscure tAe brlMncy of tile stars
oyor which it pasBed but it has been consdurea III
still nnnccounable TINT In {ewtnBtanccs, there
has been augmentation Of stellar hriliansy gu saeh
tho csleptnte comet Of 1911, was found 10 Aays Its
l,,stre considerably augmented: and snil"r caso
was presented more recently, wien ssar Of TUG eighth
Inn tile raHsAgo OF Dro!seud comet over It. Tnchs
phenomena Gun only be accounted for by supposina
ths conetrry matter. have tno'r Illuminating power
considerably augmented " tho lacittrnlls hction They
set up in tic ellcreA llui, which thOy 'eet beiors
II tho neIulois matter Of comets had rnorcly tho
power Of renccny uul of interGepiug eoinr ud ste-
lar Light, without being capable Of
oItANu1N9 IT'S CHARACTER,
IN tho manner have described, tnese hotica wonld
always oussurs tho brliausy atil diminish tho up
pnrent magnitude Of tho wnteh thvy pass
The illumination Of cur atmosphere by tho tuu muon
is sufficient to render stare. own Of tho hth maBn
,ltassisted eye According to the calcuasfon Of II.
Dabnet, Il comet as larg0 us the eartl and hAvhg
density oo tee ls les. 4 thpn taSi s Gf
Autfun Of sellar brlll!a4cy than has bocn hitherto
found to arIEe from the prcsenca Of these raro
bodics, From onb Of the nsoht regent estimates
Of this astronomer, 1t wolld appear that :" II u
Single ct,pic inrh Vt our air could e1rand
to M sphere hnvng "a dtanetes 1oooo.o tituss a, ~
still be fur moro dcuse thun lilo matter COMPOSING the
conut Ut 1s45" 1t will Ia however, IN tnu ne1t
chaEer thut the denEisy Of cunetary iuaerla!s
caniot lie oven million times lrSa tnau that Of cur
stmoaihero and that tho great come. o. asS1 mssaa
os having lcBs than grain oi matter u ~ entire
to suppose. must hayo contained Rescrl millions Of
tona The results ut which ha has arr!yed in regard
to tho Uncomfortable lesity of hceo wandering bodies,
must 10 several million tnea below tha ucunl value.
Wi!n admit the justnoas Of Ills conclusions IN re
gurd to the dinu1on Of briiaucy which stollae Light
effect is counterbaanced by ths accession to their
illuminating power. aristng from their action OH tho
ethereal contents Of Hpate. .......
Uus tAe ovcspowcring Influence Of tho solar rays
T. ALONE IL CAPABLE
Of producing. In tho realms Of ether those yaib!e
tratnH which Attend tho most conspicuous comets. lilo
part which solar light takes hi their formation Is
proved very decidedly by tho exiAtenee OF the dark
the tails Of cointta It would Bcen that the nucens,
aud tho moro dense nelllols matter which surrounds
them the power Of depicting their characters OH The
ce!esta regi6s Thc appcaraicu Of tho tnis gcueral
] g. to o sss ss 1es
formed Of conscary matter, It must have Detn ull
driven no apacs with pro. iscy tho samo rate Of mo-
inferior Tint Of Leht. Even II tneso e1rayag,ut
hypo,acscs wore Admitted, tho explanation wAci they
furnsh would be very unsatisfactory. 1890.
Tbs great RESEMBLANCE which theaa cemGtary tratnB
bear to negative shadow, has been rocogzeI by He.
Tho degree Of curvature Which thuy oc-
casuna!y exhibit kcens to furnish SOno tliicultiea
to tho presn llr0ry Of ther OH 4n But littio
will show that considerable doyintun
from tho rcctlliuear direction must hs expected from
tho alteration Of tho clt!sB to Which lAYc Aerrlbea
them. Tic operation Of solar Light tuus Aueeysariy
Biye rise 10 an
APPARENT AND ACTUAL CURVATURE
of tho yast BtreMurB which thoy tus.n III Bpacc. This
may be easily understood from reference to the
culnel Of 1850, which, at R nearest distance from tho
SUM- described about two dpgrens Of ~ orbit In tue
space Of al1ty hyo seconds. Now, as tight travels thr
teeu millions of MILES In tho OF si1y-lyo
onty, II is eyiaent that tue rays which the am sent
through the comet III this position mllAt doyiao
about two degrees frol the dFUrtfon Of thuse which
were tiirtean millions Of miles in advance Of them.
Surprising tho tail to o,igInAte from THUR inssanano
'tio1 j. would NECESSARILY deyl4a ut ttiH place
two degrees from rectangular dretiion fti the
Of thirteen niunB of iles, Ana tue deviation for le
entire length would amount to over Bistcrn degrees.
TAa Gberr4tl0 OF light uso eacl lart u tho
traius upear tn the rcgou from which 1t
has Departed nnd ths Will give II all additional Aegr9o
Of curvature, willis tho position in which 1t is
viewed from, the oArt las frequently decided
On ils aVmront form.
II lay be, however, necessary to observe that this
cass Of celestial Eheuonena furnishes a,.oul-
alouB caseB. A. few hayU occurred In which
c0,nets have heen Intended with plurality OF talls,
anu their direction, In a0me Instances, differed very
much from that Of lhe Holar light. Bit II, The castA