New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-09
A STUDY OF THE SUN.
y.rCr1JRE By RICHARD A. PROCTOR.

aRuKRB.
One of the most successful lectures of the season.
both 10 far entertaining treatment and the size Of
the audience were concerned, was that given last
evening at Association HAL by Prof. Richard A.
Proctor Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society,
london, and author Of several noted works upon as
Economical topics Mr.. Proctor began his course of
1x lectures, illustrating the latest and grandest dis
eovGies in modern astronomy under the auspices OF
. public approval manifested last evening in the
most fattenng manner by an audience which packed
the eapaciOus hall 20 It's utmost limits. The
= lecturers appearance upon the stage is de-
sidedly preposseSsing his manner Ii pleas
ing, and his delivery, though extremely
rapid allowing no pauses TO distract the
attention, is clear and concise. The subject was
treated by the aid largely Of the oxy-hydrogen
hight thrown upon a screen on which were produced
In rapid succession the different appearances which
have been recorded by astronomers, course which
rendered necessary the darkenng of the hail during
the greater portion of the lecture. Mr. Proctor was
introduced to an American audience by Prof Nor
ton, President of the Stevens Institute of Tech
nolOgy, Boboken, and began follows:
LECTURE.
LADIES GENTLEMEN: l need hardly tell you that
subject wide astronomy cannot no dealt with In
single course Of lectures, except by way OF survey
Every of the subjects OF lectures might very well
occupy whole course. have myself twice given
course OF lectures the Sun two years ago on the
stars and expect next May to give course of lectures
the planets-the next lecture in course in New
York Therefore you will readily understand that all OF
my lectures will he mere surveys. only aim 10 pre-
all the leading features and those characteristics OF
modern research
The subject Of lecture tonight the Sun, not the
magnificent OF all created objects indeed shall
Ae able show you deal with the stars. but she
Boblest Of all created things that minister TO the wants
of In the past therefore. worshiped the
and knelt down in alteration before him, because
they believed he the OF all good upon the
earth that he in fact the true God. Although in
his they forgot Creator and worshiped the creature,
yet II there was any fault 1t may be pardoned How
little we think whom we see the rising as a rudy
ScDe above the horizon, involved In Ieaden-cOOred
eoGds-how little we think that at every instant that
globe with a mighty force is attracting not only the
earth but other planets far larger than the earth Stl
lsss do think how not merely in the daytime. but
through all time that is pouring forth supplies OF
light aud heat infinitely greater than required for
the wants Of this earth Now let consider the first
facts We have 10 deal with, in order that may
how large and how powerful he is. and thoroughly
appreciate the physical characteristics when wo come
~ consider them.
DISTANCE AND SIZE OF THE Sun.
In the FIRST place let the distance and size
sun, which need hardly say nearly related.
There d comparison by which enabled to iDdi
the relation OF the In magnitude
and distance. II this earth represented by globe
inch in diameter, then the suns globe would be
represented by orb three yards in diameter. II the
snn's globe in turn were represented by globe one
inch diameter then the distance would he represented
by three yards globe inch in diameter.
the sun three yards; the sun q globe one inch in
diameter the distance three yards. Now let consider
what that enormous distance means. An Armstrong
Gun bullet At the rate OF 400 yards per second.
bullet fired at that rate and maintaining II 10 the
ann WOuid there. aud the ROuu1 of
the explosion would reach the half year later.
In other words those beings those who worshiped
raised their voices prayer to ho, il their
voices could have been heard and there atmos-
pbere, medium OF INSTRUMENTATION by which the
ssund OF their voices could reach him. 13s years would
have been needed before their prayers could have
reached their God. If there steel rod connecting
the earth with the and the pole Of the earth were
brought into communication with the sum- 500 years
would eapse before the strain would the earth
Another oonsderatonand this was suggested by Prof.
lie tbis Feeling conveyed along the nerves ten times
ower than sound travels II therefore an infant were
born having arm OF the somewhat ipconvenient |
1ensth o! sco 600 of miles, to reach the SUM- and
II while 10 fhs cradle in boyhoOd he stretch
ar and todch the SUM- that inaRt grow to the
thrssscOre yesrs aud ten allotted 70 man, 6T even to
tli never be conscious OF the fact
that the TIP OF his finger was burned he should 1--we 15
years before that would be experienced
GRAVITY ACTS NsTANTASEoUsLY
Light. which travels with such velocity, which travels
SO COO miles single second OF time, takes minutes
reach from the sun 90 that Wnen We look AT
sun him not In the place he actually occupies
IN the eoptic but the place which he occupied min
ptes before And this leads 20 the strange eonsidera-
Gion that IL gravity, the force by which the sun rules
earth 70 occupy the same time IN passing over
the interval between the and the earth that light
does the years would grow continually longer We |
have earth. suppose, travelling from my left 70 my
Iight around the sun, which is directly opposite When
body is travelling forward against material object
somewhat from the direction on which the
Object 10 moving thus the light from the sun comes
10 meet the earth Suppose the force oil
attraction occupied the time that force would
cupy line not from the but from point on the
right of the 1t would draw the earth not toward
,nOyng and there would ne n continued increase in the
sarths velocity and increase IN the length OF the
,ssrs and This would he manifested in few years,
s more in the hundreds Of during which astron
sppreciable increase OF length of years, it |
shows thai the force OF gravity instansneousy
that IL acts much more quickly than light Now |
there is wonderful thought mat Is KIND oil force
strike the water wave stretches along the surface II
raise the voice in sound II Is convened along the
waves Of air aud there a certain rate OF transmission
Light would circle the earth eight times In single see
cnd but still It takes certain time in travehng but
instantaneousy II is one of the forces OF which
able account whatever for all our laws OF
stherw by Newton is reported 10 nave
card that must he mad who could assume that any
force whatever could act except by direct contact
THE SUNS MIGHT.
Now let Ne consider the might that resides in the
the sun were a quantity OF matter very much
larger than the earth he IS there would still
not be the force necessary the ruler over the
earth. Ietme idea OF how large the sun IT,
am the habit, in England, when wish 10 speak of
The nle OF the SUM- OF informing my audience that this
country (EngsudJ in which we live, which to us
nevertheless small 10y comparison with The
earth for u the earth were one inch in diameter En-
gland would he small triangular speok, which you
could scarcely recognize" But am afraid that 10 an
American audience that would he Imperfect
In fart. travelling