Smyrna times., 1882-07-19
News from the Sun,

cations are slow in reaching the ears OF
the public. Several years always elapse
before the observations of a transit OF
Venus, for instance, are completely
worked up and translated into popular
language. So in the case of sola,
eclipses, even when interesting discov-
cries are made-as at the recent eclinse
which the astronomers went to Eovnt
TO study-it is long before more than
mere hint of them is heard of. It's
Importance to mankind, aside from
that elemental branch of the science
which aids the art of navigation, is akin
to that of literature or the fine arts
1T brOadens mems views, exerts a strong
moral. II not religious influence. and
furnishes the best of intellectual food
1t appears that some very interestino
observations were made during the
eclipse i'll May. The new observations
seem to show pretty conclusivelv that
the influence which produces sun spots
Is powerfully felt in the upper regions
OF the solar atmosphere, where it causes
wonderful phenomena. Sun spots 90
IN periods. Once in about eleven wears
they reach their maximum, or become
most numerous. There was a solar
eclipse IN 1871 during a sun-spot maxi
mum, and another in 1873, when sun
Spots were very rare, and the astrono-
mers observed decided difference in
the form Of the corona or great gaseous
envelope that surrounds the sun and
Dlazes into sight during total ecIipse
IN the most fantastic and wonderful
forms. The eclipse of this wear fell in
another period Of sun-spot maxium.
ana IL Is an exceedingly interesting
TACT that corona again presented the
appearance seen in 1871. The most
striking difference in the form of this
magnificent atmosphere of the sun as
seen at sun-spot maxima and sun-snot
mlnlma seem to be that when the spots
are fewest the envelopes of glowing
gases are deepest at the suns equator.
and also exhibit striking forms about his
poles while when the spots are most nu-
mefous, ,asatprcsent, the corona extends
away from the equator, and is not so
conspicuous about the poles, but an
enormous quantity ofhydrogen appears
III the solar atmosphere, glowing with
the most intense heat. What Won
derlul thing the sun appears to be in
the light of these facts! Instead of a
round, solid body, glowing with n
white heat, we see in the sun a globe
OF gases subjected to a temperature and
a pressure almost too frightfll for the
mlnd to conceive-a fiery globe in
which iron and the solidest substances
we Know are not merely melted. but
turned into whirling mass of yapor
Which is heaVed and tossed with awful
while around it all. ont
SIDE the sun as we see it, there is an
lndescribable atmosphere thousands
ana hundreds of thousands of miles
deep, composed of glowing gases. some
OF which if condensed over our heads
would set the world afre with red hot
ram. Then we see, through some
cause which we cannot yet understand.
this ball of flaming gases, which is
rushing through space like a hot shot
hurled from cannon of infinite power.
lashed every eleven years into seven
fold fury until its glowing surface is
pltted with tremendous chasms. and |
Jets of flaming hydrogen and other
gases leap from it like gigantic geysers
Of fire and set its great upper atmos-
phere aglow.
Another interesting result of the
recent eclipse observations is the ev;-
ience obtained of the existence of
enormous quantities of vaporized cal
olum in the corona or upper atmos-
phere OF the sun. If this is so. then we
see an element which, in limestone and
1ther combinations, forms whole ranges
d solid mountains on the earth chang
'd TO the condition of a shining vapor
md serving to make up part of the
of the great orb of dav.
The existence of calcium in what NAV
De called the body of the sun was recop,
llzed long ago, but heretofore there
has been no good evidence that this
Notwithstanding element
vas floating at a tremendous elevation
Ihove the surface of the sun.
Again the recent observations have.
appears, gone far toward proving
What has been for some years suspected
hat the chemical elements as we know
hem are not able to withstand the
tremendous temperature of the sun
md that they are thus split up into
I'LL more elementary substances. an
chlevement far beyond the power of
ur chemistry. If this is so it is great
dvance in the speotroscopfc study of
he sun.
These are only some of the discover
es made by the astronomers in Egvpt }
nd which have been so slow to leak
ut. There are great many other
hings of public interest that they could
hrow light on for instance, the sword
haped comet which they discovered
lose to the sun and photographed,
nd the discovery Of indications of an
tmospheFe in the moon, the particu- !
lrs of which would interest everybody.
specially If they can give us any hope
hat the moon is not dead world after {
IN y. Sun. l
Two LITTLE BEAUTIEs.-Among the {
lrge Philadelphia business houses that /
elieve in the liberal use of printers q
lk, few, if any, equal Bailey, Banks &
III I'll