The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-11-07
ATTRIBUTE TO Dir, DRAPER,

The most promising result OF solar re-
search since kircnnoff, in 1853, inter-
preted the dark lines OF the SUMS spec.
trum, has recently been announced from
America. Interesting in itself, the dis
coyery just maze is doubly interesting
IN WhaLit seems to prom. Sc IN the future.
Just as Kirchhotf's great discovery,
that certain double dark line iu the
solar spectrum ID due 10 the vapor OF
sodium in the sums atmosphere, was
but the frat of a long series OF results
winch the spectrOseOpic anaiy sic of the
sun was to reveal. SO the discovery just
announced that certain important
gas-tne OK gen present in our air and
the chief Ga einical constituent of water
shows It's presence i'll the sun by bright
lIues instead of dark, will in all proba
Dllity turn out to be Dut the first fruits
OF new methOu of examining the sulai
spectrum. AS its author, DR.. Henry
Draper, OF New YORK, remarks, further
| investigation in the direction he has
pursued Will lead 10 the discovery 0
other clements in the sun, but 1T wGs
| not "p oper to conceal the principle OIL
| whlou sucn researches ale to be con
! uucLed, Tor the sake ol personal advan'
| Lage."
| 1t may we'll happen, though 1 antici.
| pate otherWISe, thai by thus at once
describing his method OF oDse! vatlon
Df. Draper may enable others to add tt
me list OF known solar elements Others
| which yet remain to be detected; but il
DR.. Draper should thus have added bu
| one element TO That ilst, he WIll ever be
| rega dra as the physicist to whose Rcu.
men the method was due by which al
| tnose elements were detected, and II
whom, therefore, the chief credit OF then
discovery must certainly be attributed
| L would specially call attenJloi
| TO the interest winch attaches to De
| Drapeps discovery and to the researcAel
llkely TO follow tlum IL, IN CONNECTION
with branch of research which Is b
coming more closely connected year by
year win solar investigatlons-I me al
stellar spectroScOpy. We have seen Tit
stars DIVIDED into orders according tt
their constitution. We recognize eyl
deuce tendIug tU show that Lnese VAR.
| GUS orders depend in part upon age-AO OI
| absolute, UuL relative age.
| There are among Ihe suns which peo
| pie space some younger Dy far tnan GU
sun, others ar olUer, and sOme iu LAT,
| stage of stellar decrepitude. WneLhe.
as yet spectroscoplsls nave perfectly
succeeded i'll cIassliJ ing these stella
| orQers III such sorL that The connection
| between u stars spectrum and the star.
age can at once be determined, may b
doubtful. But certainly there are rea
sons tor hoping that before long This will
| be done. Among the stars, anu (straugt
10 say among celestial obj eULs Wnicl
are not STARS, Lnere are suns III every con
ceiyabIe stage VI development, from em
DryOn masses not as yet justly to be re
garded as suns, TO masses winch nay
ceased to IuIfIl the duties ot suns
Among the more pressing Ousies OF spec
| LIoscUpIc analysis az The pres
ent Time is the proper ella,
siication of these various ordeu
OF stars. W Wnensoeyer that Task shal
have been accomplished, strong light,
venture 10 predict, Will be thrown ON on
SUMS present condition, as well as o
his past history, and on Guat future ia
upon Wn4c cn depends the Iuture OF ON
earth KIchard A. Proctor, in Conten
porary It1vleW.