The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-03
MORE NEWS FROM TIfE SUN

learn most about tho sun when we cnnnotsot
| it-tnat IL to say whom it IL totally c.liu,oo b.,
| the dark body of the moon. To This t.
crlins"s owe their scientific Importance IT,,
total criipsn ot the sun last July occurred unto,
! circumstances So exceptionally favorable f,,
! observation that astronomers naturally h,,. o.
| for great results aaI nj lrJs, one urrnt r,.,I,
| was obtained. Wilson's discovery of an in'r,.
| Msrcurial planet will make this eli p-l mcn.,
| able in thc history Of astronomy. But ns iae
rer0rts ~ the v1rious observer, and ilny ,y.t.
] very numrrpus-arc published from timo .,
! tno in Engiani and this country. aud as t,Ir
! observations are discussed By si'rt.1. writes.
! it becomes apparent that the eclipse na,le 9TH
substantial additions to our knowlrl.o Of a.,
physical constitution 81 the solar region.
These relate chiefly to tho corona. or hHlo.i,a
| glory" which is seen radiating from the hal.
| den Gun NJ the moment Of t1tu'iiy IT, light iq
generally described utcuarly white. Tine
corona must not be confoundnl with the .,.
called red promincn ,cs or fanasti' tnncu,so,
laino which are Wis bic ut the Same time. nrpa.
! rently procecdinI from tho cl!sn NJ the moon
| but really rising from the suns surface to A
| height estimated in thousands u miles Tho,
roscatc fumes Of varied form are known H. ls
mighty outbursts OF glowing hydrogen and
other gases. Only threo or four such proi.,,.
lions were observed during the late eclipse
Tho early descriptions ~ the corona which
have come down to us, speak oi It rs a circle
about the darkened sun; but in modern times
It has been characterized by no Su,h regularity
Of outline. 1t has appeared rather in the fora
Of projecting cones and rays Of light distributed
without reference 20 any known system G.a.
| orally. however these luminous comes are ...t.
| ated opposite ono another on different eilr- 4
tnc sun. SO that they stretch out in oppoaItedi.
! rect.ons. An excellent idea Of the appearance
ofthc corona AMI the prominence respectively
cnn be gained from the colored illustrations 10
s'hclcns work on the sprrroscopr transacted
| from the German some years ago aud edited bI
Dr. William Higgins.
| Tho am cation % spectrum analysis t0tht
study Of the coronn during thu past ton yrtr
has satisfied the great body Of astronomers ti.t
its light Is Of n two-fod character. Whatever
| may be tho composition Of this strange append
| age Of the sun. II must contain soma sul-tan,,
| capable 81 rejecting the solar rays. for n rar
| Of III light is reflected sunlight. The rest Mp
| pears 10 come from tho glowing vapor u az
| unknown gas whose presence is indicated 70
| the spectroscopc by peculiar bright grecn Inc
known ne 47l. We might discover what tIi
| gas IL II we could find any terrestrial suletgn.,
whose vapor when examined In the spectre
scope would yield the same line: but all EFFORT
| To this end have thus far failed.
Now the famous green line. 47l WAS not -e,t
by most 81 the Observers Of the recent eclipse
! Prot. Newcomb So states in an artiDlr con,r,i.
| utod 10 the current number 81 the PrH,,.v
| Recier. From paper In the same magazine
however. by Prof. c. A. Young. also one OF Ia,
| foremost Of American astronomers. IL nppeau
| that his party NJ Rawlins saw the .47l line oil
| the time. rs also did Prof. Barker at Denver
| But In comparison with its appearance a
other cclipscs. It's brlliancy was greatly dimin.
I'll. a.. a. -. IA 4. .
general failure TO see it at ALL and 10 its faintnrsi
| in the eyes Of all those who did see H. These
| facts. In connection with the prevailing lmrras.
sion that the corona was 10y no means so hrilh
Gs in recent previous eclipsrs. have led mani
| astronomers 10 the conclusion that tho cor,ui
WAKES and wancs with the sun spots. In 1871
| the spots On the sun were exceedingly humorous
and Mr.. }. Norman Lockycr. the English astrol
| omer. estimates the brightness Of the corona ~
displayed during the Indian eclipse Of that year
to have been NJ least ten times ms bright rs IN,
| corona OF last July. At presen, there are ven
| few sun spots. this being the minimum
year of the sun-spot period; indeed. Prat
| Young speaks Of the existing state Of qui,s
cence on the solar surface rs almost unrx
| amplel.
II should be said. however that scientific
| opinion IL not unanimous in accepting the
| view that tho variations in the corona follow
| the cycle Of solar spots Mr. A. c. Rnnvrd
Secretary Of the Royal Astronomical Society o.
England. Witnessed the eclipse from a sta,iut
near Denver. lie does not agree with th.-e
who pronoun 'e the corona fainter than in 80
cclirses II 1870 and 1871 unl. So Tar as the ,.o
creased brightness Of the green limo is cuu.
c"rnod. he deems our present knowledge u tne
eoronM spectrum insuni,ion 10 sustain the
sweeping theory that tho corona WAKE. aui
wan"s with the sun spots A decided in.liue.
tion 10 accept this theory is. nevertheless no.
tircable "a the article Dy Prof. Iuuu. which We
have mentioned
The failure 20 obtain tho groom lin, from any
substance found upon the earth leaves ~ 10
complete ignorance concerning the composition
OF the gaseous portion OF tho corona. rs LM
already been intlmatcd utifthcrcront ECLIPSE
docs not prove il is safe to say it indicates:
First-That the glowing gas Of which the
corona or halo Of the sun is parity made 40
varies greatly from time 10 tim, IN quantity.
condition. and possibly in compositions
Socond-ThW therc Is some established r"la.
ton between these variations Of tn ror..h
and u" periodic in 'rease ana decrease In the
number anl magnitude OF the solar spots
1t was reported from Washington iou
weeks since, thM the discovery which ,.ive, tue
recent eclipse its greatest distinction wa. about
TO b. "a STONED by the astronomers there
we infer 10y some Of those conu-ttrl with r-
United States Naval Obscryatory-Nho dolt',r
deny the real oNist"nre Of the Mtra- M"rcu..J
planet seen by Prof Watson. We have hort
nothing further on tho subJe't. however. ui 90
this time. On the other hand. those a-'t.ul-
mer, who have liz ussod tho discovery in c.-
| trhutions 10 the press and scientific l-t!r.---
| both her" and abroad make No substituted
question n % IT. reality. twill Doe rtmrmh .rt
| that Watson was perfectly certain hs NV. ..f